A Treatise On The Art Of Glass Painting

LIBRARY

A TREATISE

ON THE

ART OF GLASS PAINTING

TUr’ Al$Klll>ERN UNIVEIISTTV i’UESS JjlMrTET)

A IKEATISE

ON TI/K

ART OF GLASS PAINTING

PREFACED WITH A EEVIEW OF ANCIENT GLASS

nv

ER-NEST R. SUEELINO

M’AtNKO GLASS ARTIST

]VIT[{ TWO COLOURED PLATES AND TIIIETY-SIX ILLUSTEATIQNS

IjONDON

SCOTT, GE HEN WOOD aV SON
'•the: pottery gazette" oeeiceh
15 BROADWAY, LUD(JATK HILL, E.C.

CANAOA THE COPP OLVRK 00., LTD., TORONTO
UNITED STATES - 1). VAN NOSTRAND CO., NEW YORK

1^)2

[All rights remain with Scotty G^ieenwood cf 5ow.]

PREFACE.

In Avriting the followinii: paii^es tlie author has had
two very different persons in mind : the* general
readei* and th(^ glass ])aintoi‘. Tlie general reachw,
with an anti(|uarian turn of mind, may find something
to interest him in the first ])art of tlu^ hook, which is
a short revic^w oi* history of glass painting ; but
beyond tliat he ikkhI scai'cely venture, as the remainder
of the book is of a t(^chnical nature*, and will interest
only the delver into tin* arts and mysteries of glass
painting.

Tin; wi'iter has commenced at the veny birth of a
window, by showing how the design is made, thon*in
due order the manner of drawing tln^ c*artoons, cutting
the glass, jjainting it, glazing it, and so on, till the very
last process of c(*inenting is reached.

As few technical terms as possible hav(f been used
in explaining the arts and mysteries of producing a
stained glass window, which mystei'ies, after all, are
the common-sense use of one’s faculties, combined
with observation, forethought and patience.

ERNEST R. SIJFFLINC.

London, Fchrvarii, nK)*^.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PA an

Preface .

CHAPTEK I.

A Short History of Stained Glass . . . - . . . 1

CHAPTER II.

Designing Scale Drawings

(CHAPTER JJI.

Cartoons and the (-ctline 46

(mAPTER IV.

The Various Kinds of Glass-cutting for Windows . . 62

(CHAPTER V.

The Colours and Rrushks Used in Glass Painting . . 81

#

(CHAPTER VI.

Painting on Glass— Disfersed Patterns 9il

(CHAPTER VI L

Diafered Patterns — Acidinij — Firing 117

CHAPTER VIJI.

Fret Lead Glazing 126

CIIAI'TER r.

As to wIk'u ^](iss itsolf wrs discovorcul ilj<'ro ii])p(‘ars to be
much diversity of opinion. The (Miim^s(‘ < Jiiim to have used
white f^lass of a very superior (jiuihty upwards of 1^,000 years
before tbt‘ Cliristian ('ra ; and, if wt^ are to bc]ic*v(i tlui report
that ^lass was tlien used by them in J^lieir astronomicffl
instruments. w(' may be quite sure th(i ^dass was of excellent
quality or it would have been practically w'orthless for that
important purpose.

Whether or no the (diines(* made lenses of glass may
be somewhat uncertain, but we; know for a fact that the
Egyptians made glass beads and jewels no less than 5,000
years ago. These jewels wm-e of many colours — colours
incorporated into the matiirial itself ; in other words, they
were stained glass. Stained glass truly, but not stained ^
glass windows.

Coming neaixu’ the time of Christ’s birth, we know that
the Greeks made glass in imitatTon of onyx^, agate, and some

of the rarer kinds of marble ; whilsj the Komans also dfs-

1

2 A TREATISE ON THE ART OH' OLASS PAINTING*

covered a way of making a dark coloured glass which they
coated with paler glass for the purpose of cutting cameos.
Here was the first idea of the more rapdern flashed ”
glass. Then came glass for vessels of various patterns,
shapes, colours and uses, and also very beautiful glass mosaic
for wall decoration, but no glass for windows.

The Kornans were at an early date in the habit of setting
small panes of glass in bronze, copper, and even leaden
frames, but whether they were for the purpose of mirrors
does not appear to be very certain, as the specimens extant
do not contain a vestige of silvering oi* other plating that
might have made these mounted glasses useful as specull
^looking-glasses).

St. Jerome and others of the earlier Fathers allude to
painted glass, but probably these references concern certain
medallions of glass which have been found in (Ireek ex-
cavations, having figures painted upon them certainly, but
not fired in.

The first coloured glass windows of which there is any
record were those in St. Soj^hia's, Oonstantiuojde. These
were doubtless pieces of coloured glass set in heavy leads,
and appertaining to the same class of work as the mosaics
used for mural decoration in the same edifice. This was in
the sixth century.

About tbc same time similar windows were made for the
basilica of St. John Lateral! and St. Peter’s at liome. Prom
Borne the art seems to have come westward to Marseilles,
and from thence northward to Paris, for it is on record that
in the year 709 Wilfrid, Bishop of York, invited workmen
from the North of Prance : “ Artifices lapidarum et vitrearum
fenestratum primus in Angliam ascjvit ”.

Early writers appear to have claimed the invention of
stained glass windows for their respective countries in a
•somewhat puzzling manner : thus the Byzantines made the

A SHOBT HISTORY OF ^TAINED GLASS.

a

St. Sophia xvindows in the sixth century, although French
writers claim the invention. The French taught the English,
and’ the latter th^ Germans at* a period when the art had
been already known in Italy for generations ; and we have
it on record that an Italian wrote upon the art before the
close of the eighth century.

Some of the earliest and most perfect examples of glass
windows are still in existence, after a life of upwards of 900
years, in the ancient monastery of Tegeriisee, in Augsburg,
Bavaria. They were placed in the building about a.d.
980. They are, like all early windows, fi-agments of coloured
glass leaded in the manner of mosaics. Probably there were
painted windows 150 years before this period, but none of
them exist at the present time.

Thenj is a record of the chapel of the Benedictine Monas-
tery at Monte-Cassino being entirely filled with painted
windowsill 1006 — the year which saw the Norman hosts
conquer our country.

One of the earliest glass painWs — a monk of the tenth
century — has left quite a long treatise on glass painting,
Divcrsarum artium scheduJa Theopkoli From this
early practitioner it vrould appear that the cartoons were
drawn upon a board well coated with chalk, the figures
liaing roughly drawn w^itli strips of lead. He gives full par-
ticulars of the colours and their component jiajts, recom-
mending that they should be ground either in wine or urine.
The brashes for laying on the pigments w^ere to be made, of
the hair from the tail of a marten, ermine or squirrel, but
if they could not be obtained, a cat’s tail or an ass’s mane
was to be robbed. For “ cutting ” the glass for his work
he used a “ dividing irqn,” which appears to have been
a thin rod of iron, curved at the end, and finishing with an
iron knob. This dividing iron ni a red-hot state was drawn
over the surface of the glass wherewer it was to be divided

4

A TREATISE ON THE^ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

and then broken off with pincers and a grozing iron {gro-
sarinm fernm). He gives very full directions both for paint-
ing the glass and firing it, entering lovingly jnto the juiniitest
details of how to build ilie kiln.

(-rood old Theo])hi]us ! Though many have ])rotited by
your bof)k, ycd. have none placed a window to your iiKunory,
though Jiearly a thousand years have given ani])le o])portnnhy.

Ill our islands theit' is at tlu' ])resent day no (*.ntire window
extant, howcwtiv small, of the (deventh c('ntury, allliough
many fragments are induhilably iiicorpora.ted in windows ol
a later ])eriod.

()n(i of th(^ old('st (amtineiital ])ainted windows is that
in the (dmrcdi at Ntuiwdlhr, near Stra^shourg. Tt shows a
full-length figure of St. Timoth\, and is suri'ounded with a
richly coloured and painted Ixiiahu*. dliis was painted early
in the, twelfth cxntury.

At St, J)(‘-iiis, iK'.ar Paris, is a window plac('d there by
Abbot Seiger in llOS, but which has be(n so elevei’ly
restored as to Ih'Coiiu! almost worthless as an antiquity,
because tlu’, modern additions are so near the ancient glass
in colour, texture and manipulation as to defy detection,
except on clos(' vi(wv by an expert.

The colours employed in tlie twelfth century w^ere very
garish and primary, being principally red, blue and yellow,
and to vetoethese colours and make their churches different
to all others, the Cistercian Abbot in J]84 issued an interdict
restricting the use of colours, and allowing only wdiite glass
to be used. Possibly this may have been out of comjdiinent
to the white habits or raiment of their order.

Of twT.lfth Century work but little remains in England.
In the nave of York Minster is part of a Jesse window of
the end of this century, and, curiously enough, there is a
fragment of a Jesst^ w indow of the same period in Canterbury
Cathedral.

A SHORT HISTORY OF STAINED OLASS.

5

In the thirteenth century the inonkB, those clever illumi-
nators, became very busy with stained ^lass, and seized upon
it as a new recreative employment.

Their attem])ts were certainly of a crude and conventional
cliaracter, but were' frequently both effective and siu;c,essful,
and, m lookin«4 Jd their W(n-k, wt‘ must r(mi(unber that their
material and their tools \\(n-e of the. rudest kind— no modern
bj iishes, no mills for tnrnmo out neat leads, no diamonds for
ciittm^^ ‘^dass ! Indeed, th(‘^ must have been vt^ry clever to
have pro(luc.(‘d anythinn at all worth lookin^^ at.

Their i^lass was \'(uy pool’ : coai'se in texture;, veiy uneven
in thickness, and veiy linjited in variation of colour. It was
either lirou^ht to sha]H‘ with th(‘ ancient dividin^jj iron, or else
cast in moulds, piece by pitaje, and then moi'e nearly ^TOzed
to tlu; iXHjuired shape —a. very tedious and uncertain method.

The bi’ush('s W(;re so jioor that the monks frequently used
c('rtain little pointed feathers from th(‘ wings of birds (especi-
ally the woodcock) for outlining^ or “tracing" upon glass.
Q’h(;ir brushes were of their own manufacture, and consisted
of little bunches of scjuirrel or badger hair, thrust through
quills which were softened by soakiifg in warm water.
Isiiedless to say, not one of these primitive brushes in a dozen
was of use in outlining, being too blunt ended, bence the use
of feathers for that purpose.

Their painting colour was usually coars(‘, but has stood
the test of time admirably, much of it being as firm and
dc'nse as when applied five hundred j^ears ago !

Their only colour was of a purplish-brown, of a somewhat
dark tone, and is supposed to have been composed of the
following ingredients and pro^iortions : —

Two parts of oxide of iron (rust) ; two parts of oxide of
copper ; one part of ground jet; and two parts of borax flux
as a fusing medium, without which the •colour would got
adhere to the glass.

6

A TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

The figures painted at this period (thirteenth century),
were merely outlines — verj effective — in solid colour, and
when any attempt at shading was made it was by means of
cross-hatching — wash shading being then unknown. The
drawings were exceedingly conventional, sometimes gro-
tesquely so, and were it not for their sacred nature might
at times be denominated ludicrous or humorous.

As yet the study of anatomy formed no part of the
curriculum of the monkish studio, though it must be con-
fessed their di’apery was often very (iffective. Some of their
most telling work was in the form of medallions placed on
a painted (luarry backgixnind. Frequently the medallions
(jontained several figures, forming a biblical subject, placed
on a l)lne or ruby background, as in Canterbury Cathedral,
but no atteni]}t was ever made to even hint at perspectives—
a man in the distance was drawn as large as one in the fore-
ground. Such, briefly , was the state, of tlie art at the dose
of tlui thirteenth c.entury, at which jjeriod only the chief
cathedrals and the richer monastery churches ever received
t)iese

windows, riclily dight,

Casting dim religions light.

It must not he supposed, however, that the productions
in our islands during the thirteenth century could claim an
equality with the best productions on the Continent during
that period. We cannot justly claim to have had any par-
ticular master or mastery in the art, but on the Continent
many well-known artists were already giving their full
powers to the great art wave which was now sweeping over
Southern Europe.

Among the best examples of thirteenth century work in
England we may mention t)ie following, which may all be
termed Early English, being coeval with that period of
architecture. '

7

.V SHORT HISTORY OP^STAINEJ) GIl4SS.

Many of the windows in Canterbury Cathedral were
painted about 1230-1250, and after the lapse of six centuries
and a half have [ost little, if aAy, of their beauty, although
they have from time to time been restored, releaded, etc.

Salisbury and Lincoln Cathedrals have their west win-
dows filled with glass of this period, and the latter has a rose
window said to he of tenth century work.

There are also the east wind{)W8 of West well Church,
Kent, and Chetwode Church, Buckinghamshire, each of iiiid-
thirteeiith century work.

Dating from about 1260-1200 are the hive Sisters in
York Minster, and a window in Stanton Harcourt Chui-ch,
Oxon.

In Dorchester (fiiurch is a medallion, date about 1230-
1210, representing St. Birmius on his mission.

The fourteenth century was a very important one, em-
bracing the “ Decorn-ted ” period, a hundred years of wonder-
ful progress in the art of glass painting. It was notable for
at least two inventions, viz., silver-stain and stip])led shading.

Silver-stain, so called from })eing made from that metal,
was of a beautiful transparent goldeiu colour, and at once
gave th(i glass painter a wonderful addition to his colours,
wherewith to give fresh beauty to his art. By its aid he
could impart to his white glass aiiy tint of yellow, from the
palest lemon to the deepest oranges merging upop ruby.

Granting that the colours incorporated into the various
“ pot-metals,” or stdf-colourcd glasses, constituted them
stained glass, yet here was a new pigment that would change
even white glass into stained glass. This stain when once
applied was as permanent as ruby, blue or green, because iU
stained or self-coloure(l the glass to some depth, and was
only removable by nuiioving the surface of the glass itself.
By its aid quarry patterns anS grisaille backgrounds became
enriched ; jewels could be set in golden surroundings wifliout

8

A TREATISE ON THE ART, OF GLASS PAINTING.

the intervention of lead ; ^^oldeii diapers on a white dress
becanui possibli^ ; the crockets and pinnacles of canopies
could l)(i made distinct and beautiful ; the hair of h^mres
could 1)(^ made to stand away from the pale flesh ; flowers
could 1 h' difrerent]at{'d in colour from folia^^e ; and in fact
the invi'iition of stain was the most important discovery that
had eitla'r before oi' sinc(' l)een mnde in the art of .i»1m,ss
jiaiiitin^, and marlo'd the fourleenth c(‘ntury as one of
wondf'i'ful j)ro^n-ess and possdidities. It was not until the
closin^^ of the century, how(*V(‘r, that the monkish ])aint('rs
became entiiady aware of tlu; w'onderfiil pro|)erti(‘s ol the new
pigment in tlusir hands.

The other dis(!overy (sti])plin^^) was niijiortant, hut not
in such a ^Teat degrei^ as the stain. Until its discovdy thei*e
had been tw'o nudhods of shadin^^ : tlu* early one, in which
finely traced lines called “cross-hatching*’ w^ere employed;
and the later one, called variously smear, w’ash, and flat
shading.

This flat shading gave very good results in expert hands,
but was ajit to hc' uneipial, muddy, or too pronounced at its
edges, where it shou4d soften off into light.

Tli(} “ stippled ” shadows wwe the outcome of the flat
shading, and were probably discovered by some genius whilst
endeavouring to smooth over his badly-laid wash-w^ork by
dabbing it ewdth a stumpy brush, and thus producing a
granulated surface, which, although acting as a shadow,
would still permit a certain amount of light to penetrate, and
thus render the former opacjiie shadows transparent.

The fourteenth century came in with flat shading, and
< W'ent out wdth shadow s in their incipient stage of stippling.
During the fourteenth century the. drawing of both figure
and ornament was vastly improved ; more attention was
given to the pose and anatomy of the figures ; drapery was
arranged in a more natural and artistic manner; and the

A SHORT HISTORY OF %TAINED GLASS. 9

<;onveiitioiial forms of foliage and bordeis were much more
^.!orrectly delineated.

Some amount^ of character a^id ex]:)reRsion was now fre-

Fig. 1.— Typical Fourteenth Centur> Stained Glass,

^^uently introduced into the faces of figures, which in the
preceding century had often l)een either doll-like, abstracted,
or simply idiotic.

Canopies commenced to a))p(*ar, very small and meaning-

10 A TBEATIHE ON THI ABT OF GLASS PAINTING,

less at first, but with succeeding years they grew taller and
taller and more ornate, until at last it might be said the figures-
beneath them were only of ‘secondary interest, the big, gaily
coloured canopies monopolising, in some cases, half the height
of the window, making the figures appear unduly small and
insignificant. Tall spires and pinnacles arose one above the
other, until a plethora of richness of detail was achieved such
as had never })eeii seen l>efore, but with all this the canopies
and their members were kept severely flat, no attempt at
rounding of detail or striving after perspective being made or
suggested.

Many portions of the architectural work were coloured
green, red, or blue, which certainly gave richness and local
colour, but it cannot he said that the effect thus gained was
good, although, to untrained eyes and minds unaccustomed
tf) art, the appearance of these windows must have been simply
grand. So much colour had the effect of giving that awe-
some, dim, religious light to the churches wdiich in the dark
ages w'as mistak(in for sanbtity, just as the misty, dreary lives
of the ecclesiastics of tlui period was mistaken for fervour and
true religion. ^

Tf wt'. glance at a fourteenth century canopy we shall
notice that it was drawn so as to carry out the stone (jarving
of the decorated style. Mullioned window's were shown in
these glass canopies, with their pierced traceries and their
w’ealth of accessory didail, just as the actual stonework of
the windows was worked ; indeed, it is by this parallelism of
style that the apju'oximate date of these windows can be in a
great measure fixed.

The lumdred years during which the Decorated Period
continued saw' a very givat improvement in stained glass,
but the heavy colouring of the canopies left much to be elimi-
nated in future g('nerati( )ns. instead of being lightly coloured,
so^as to act as a foil fo/ tln^ richly coloured figures beneath

A SHOUT HISTORY OF STAINEI) GLASS. ll

them, they were frequently as highly coloured as the figures
themselves, so that the whole appearance was heavy, massive,
and cumbersome.. Still, with all its imperfections, the De-
corated Period paved the way and laid the foundations of the
glories soon to follow.

Among the many examples of fourteenth centur>^ w^ork
extant some of the earliest may be seen in the Chapter House-
of Salisbury Cathedral. Others are the east window of
Checkley Church; Merton College Chapel, Oxford; east
window Selling Church, Kent ; the side windows in Norbury
Chapel, Derbyshire ; the Chapter House of York Minster ;
Chartham Church, Kent ; and considerable remains in Peter-
borough Cathedral.

The east window in Stanford Church, Northamptonshire,,
and a window in Froyle Church, Hampshin^ date from about
th(i latter part of the reign of Edward TI.

Of about the same date may be mentioned the fine choir
windows in Bristol Cathedral, and others in Tewkesbury
Abbey and Wells Cathedral. *

The windows in the nave of York Minster are very in-
structive, as they were inserted at varkius datt^s from the-
beginning to the middle of Edward Ili.’s long reign, say
between l‘)o0-7r).

In Bardwell Church, Suffolk, is a well -drawn figure of
Sir William de l^erdwelL The knight is yi complete
armour, wuth his war heaume at his side. His coat of
arms on his shield is on a field gules, a goat rampant,
argent.

Another figure of a knight in full armour may be seen in
Long Sutton Church, Lincolnshire. The armour is plate,
armour, except the cam^^il at the neck, which was the last
'link remaining between chain and mail armour, and pro-
claims the date to be about f iSO. Iti l^elby Abbey Church
are several figures of knights on Jtoliated background, *and

12 A TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS FAINTING.

with well-])ainted borders coiitaininj? squirrels, lions, and
other animals and devices.

Abroad th(? art was profiecuted with "j’eat vigour during
the toartcontb century, and th(! drawing was often very fine,
but tluMi it must lie remembered that in Jhiglaiid it was
usual foj* the monkish ])aint(U- to draw^ his own cartoons, a
])racti(H' til at was not always the case abi-oad, as there an*
numhtu'S ef instanci's on record of tlie cartoons being drav\n
by not{'d artists, and carried out afterwards u])on the glass
by ])rofessional glas^ ])aint(Ts. Hei‘(‘ is one : —

In th(‘ Archivt^s of Kloremte Catliedral it is recorded that
“ a window over the door towards the street of Cassattali is
commissioned of Antonio of Pisa, niastca* glas^ painter, and
the design is by Angelo Gaddi

The date is ld48, and tln^ window is still in existence —
single figures under coloured canopies ; a jumbk; of colour
with but little harmony, and an effect not wholly artistic.

It may be interesting if for a few moments wc look into
the ways and means of me'diawal glass painters, and see how
fourteenth ciuitury glass painters vv'cre jiaid for their services,
and note tlie materkil worked upon. We takii the latter first.

The glass used during the fourteenth century as far as,
say, 1380 was of poor quality, about which period it was
greatly improved by fresh makers taking the art in hand and
using filter^ materials, and taking greater care in the mixing
and blowing of the glass.

In the twedfth and thirteenth centuries the ruby had been
very thick, dai’k, streaky and spotty, and the “ flash ” of
ruby was quite half the thickness of the whole sheet of
, glass; but this “flash” was gradually reduced, generation
by generation, until by 1380 it was only about one-fourth
of the whole substance.

Blue glass w^as usually ol a purplish hue, and at times
very “ inky and horny V in appearance.

A SHORT HISTORY OF s!^AINED GLASS.

IH

Grceii was frequently of a severe and starin*^ type, and
full of little impurities of a stony nature, which rendered
it difficult to shape to the re(|uiivd form without Im'aka^e,
the glass being apt to fly or fracture at th{‘S(‘ little stony oas(‘.s.

White glass was Idown in a very irregulai- nuiiuier, wliich,
while it gave vigour and tone to ])lain k'aded work, was not
conducive to good painting.

A littl(' yellow and purple glass coni])let(Hl th(' nu'difcval
glazier’s stor(‘ of glass.

Glass was tlu-n known by tlu' nanu's of tlie various gems
whose colours it re])res(‘nted —thus they Jiad rHbf/ for red ;
sapphire for bine ; emeiald for green ; rr/isldl for wliiti*, ek*.

jSIow for tli(; ])ay of the* nuMlneval glass ])aint('r and glazi('r.
Between June and fSovtanlier, Idol, tlui windows of St.
Stephen’s Chapel, Wc'stmmster, wer(‘ glaz(‘d by John of
Chester, who was paid 7s. {)er wecik, or liv(^ guineas for the
fifteen 'weeks during which his services were retjuired.

He certainly had 2>ltuity of assistants to ludj) him, and
tlieir wages are duly and fully fec.ordid. Five men, who
appear to have lieeii dc'.signc^rs, rc'.ceived almost as much as
John himself, namely. Is. ])er day, or ()s.,per week. Fifteen
men were employcul to paint on the. glass at 7d. per day,
or 8s. (id. per week— a not very high wage ; while twenty-
three glaziers, who cut the glass and afterwards leaded it
together, were content with 8s. per week— a sum which, to
twentieth century ideas, ap})ears very small to support a wife
and family upon. But it must be remembered that the
purchasing power of money was then at least fifteen times
as great as at the prcisent day. Four grinding boys (colour
grinders) received 4d. ])er day, which was high w^ages for
such work.

Contrast these wages with that of other workmen em-
ployed at the same time and*on the sanie building, and it
will be seen that glass painters and glaziers were well paffi.

14 A TBEATISE ON THjfe ABT OF GLASS PAINTING.

Oarpenters received 4d., 5d. and 6d. a day, according to
their ability; masons, 5Jd.

The master mason and the master carpenter, William
H.urle, who carved the stall ends and superintended the
wood work in general, received the same remuneration as
the glass designers, viz.. Is. per day ; so we see that the
master glass painter, John of Chester, received a higher
wage than any other.

Glass ill those days was sold by the “ ponder,” which
equalled 5 Ih. ' A “ ponder ” is the same weight as the
modern glass “ stone ” (5 lb.).

The price of the glass used hy John of Chester was : —

White; glass Od. to 9d. per ponder.

Blue ,, Is. to 3s. 7d. „

Buhy ‘28. 2d. „

By this we see that coloured glass at this period was very
■expensive in comparison to what it is in modern times.

Supposing the purc^sing power of money in 1850 to
be fifteen times greater tlian at the present day, and the
“ponder” to he equal to 4 square feet of glass, the prices
\vould work out thus : —

1350. 1900.

Ruby glass . .

88 .

2s. to 3s

Blue ,, . .

3s. 9d. to 13s. ()d.

Is. (id. to 2s. (id. >per sc

. foot.

Wliite „ . .

Is, lOd. to 2s. 8d.

Is. (id. to 2s.

On the same principle

we

can

compare

the

rate of

wages : —

1350.

1900.

Chief drauglitsiuan

. £5 5

0

£5

0

0

Ordinary „

4 10

0

3

0

Oto £4

4

0

Glass painter

2 12

0

2

2

0 to 3

10

0

per week.

Gutter and gla>;ier

2 5

0

1

IG

Oto 2

5

0

Labourer (grinder)

1 10

0

1

0

Oto 1

10

oj

'By which it will be seen that the remuneration has really

A SHORT HISTOKY OF I^AINBD GRASS.

1.1

altered but little, only the purchasing power of money has
declined.

In 1357 we read of a window containing 40 superficial
square feet being glazed at Is. 2d. per foot, but no statement
is given as to the kind of window or its pattern.

In 1365 a window of 97 square feet “ wroughte wyth
floures and ye Kyng hys arines ” cost Is. 2d. per foot — say
3 7s, Od. present money. Probably this was a painted quarry
window, or one of grisaille pattern, with the king’s arms as
a central medallion.

In 1338 the great west window in York Minster was
glazed, and it is recorded that the glazier found the *glas8,
•cut it and glazed it, for the sum of 6d. per foot (about
8s. 6d. present day). This would probably be some kind
•of geometrical plain glazing in white glass.

Coming to a later date, 1405, we find a record of what
was paid to John Thornton, of Coventry, for glazing the
great east window. It was a somewhat curious bargain,
he received 4s. per week duling the time h(^ was em-
ployed, £5 at the (uid of each year, and a £10 honorarium on
completion of the window, which was caiiisidered very satil^-
factory. It took thre(‘- years to complete, so that he received
in all £5() 4s., or about ecpial to £800 jiresent money !

In 1447 the windows in Beauchamp Chapel, Warwick,
were glazed in “glass from beyond seas,” according to
patterns given by the Karl of Warwick. This appears to
mean that the glass was cut and painted abroad, and glazed in
England. The cost was 2s. per foot = 24s. present money.

Now w(i must leave prices and workmen and get back
once more to the styles of glass painting.

The Becorated Period is usually placed between the years
1280 and 1380, and the Perpendicular Period from 1380 to
1530, but it must not be supposed that the one style ended
and the other commenced precisely in 1380. There ^as

IG

A treatisp: on th^ art of glass painting.

a lapping or transitional pei’iod during which the design
hovered between the; two styles; fiat shading had not
quite given place to stippled shading; white glass had not
altogfither sujiers(‘ded coloured in the canopies, and silver-
stain had not taken tlui hold upon and influenced the st>l(‘
as it (lid in pure Ikirpc'iidiciilar work.

li we wish for ('xanipk's whu‘h were ]iainted during this
linking or lapjiing [>eriod, we shall hnd a few still in exist-
(ni(*e. Perhaps tiui best (\\aui])le is the (^ast window {»f
(llou(*ester (latlu'dral, winch was ])ainte(l In'twauni 1850-70,
and was tluui one of th(‘ linest in Ihighind. Six figurt'
wind(rv\s in jNh'rton (College (■hajud, Oxford, wow. ])ainte(l
ah{)ut L‘1()0. There are also other window's ol the jieriod
18G0-S0 in tlu' Chapter House of Tork Minster, and some
coats ol arms, of rich colouring on a ])ah‘ stained liackground,.
at NorhuiA, 1 )erhyshir(‘.

Before speaking of tlu' l\'rp('ndicular style we w’ill take
a hri('f glanc('. at the (]narry (diamond pane) windows. These
quarries (from the h'reiKth 'm/w'} were lozcMige-shajicHl pieties
of glass charged with some little device in outline, as a con-
ventional how'er, ay animars head, a ])lant, foliage, mono-
gram, crow'll or emblem of some kind.

In the thiriei'iith (tentury examples they usually had a
little painted borck'r running along the two upper sidt's,
beneath which — in the cmitri*- of the (piarry— a little device,
usually of a floral nature, was outlined, the background being
carefully cross-hatched with fine black lines of grisaille placed
about an eighth of an inch apart.

Stain was not invented, so that a quarry of that period
^ was simply a black patti'rn on a whiter ground. During the
Decorated Period the little bands were usually omitted, and
the devices made more (daborate, whilst in the later years
of tliis period tlu' devices Avere generally stained. The first
stafned quarry dates fimy about 1820. Perpendicular quarries.

Pig. 2. —Quarries: Types of Different I^eriod.s.

EARI.V Knolish- 4. About 1320. 7. About 1400 to 1420.

( 1 . Canterbury Cathedral. 5. Stained Quarry, about 135(^. 8. About 1450.
j 2. Southam, Norfolk. G. Decorated, about 1380. 9 . Edward IV,, ViLxley,

'3. Lincoln Cathedral, * Suffolk

‘2

18 A TEEATISE ON ThI ABT ©F GLASS PAINTINGT

were usually of an elaborate design, in some cases floral, and
in others bearing well-executed monograms or even heraldic
charges. They were invariably stained, and frequently shaded
so as to make the devices appear in relief. A study of the
quarries here shown will give a fair idea of the various types
of quarry in vogue at different periods.

Grisaille work, which probably sprang from painted
quarry work, was an elaborate confection or combination
of the painter and glazier. The latter not being content
with the b(janties of his geometrical lead glazing (in which
the patterns were se})arated by bands {)f coloured glass,
and elaborate borders used) was fain to call in the art of the
painter, who embellished his backgrounds of white glass with
wonderful foliated scroll and cross-hatched work, so that
most beautiful results were arrived at, as witness the huge
celebrated Five Sisters window in York Minster.

Sometimes grisaille formed the background for colounid
medallions, and at other times figures were introduced with
good effect. It is somewhat difficult to say precisely when
grisaille work was introduced, but many very fine examples
are extant of all dates, from 1250 to 1400.

The Perpendicular era embraced the period 1380 to 1530,
a reign of 150 years. This period might with advantage be
subdivided into the Early Perpendicular from 1380 to 1450,
and the l^jate Perpendicular from 1450 to 1530, or even
twenty .years later.

During the early era the canopies were noticeably flat,
and still retained a little coloured glass, as in the vaulting
under the architectural work, but the true feeling or aim of
the Perpendicular artists quickly asserted itself, that of pro-
ducing a fully coloured figure with a rich background,
surrounded with beautiful gold and silver architecture ;
practically colour upon a white background, or, as a herald
would express it, a tincture upon a metal.

A SHOKT HISXORy OP stAINED GLASS* 19

The figures of the early period still retained enough of
the quamtness of pose and expression, and the subjects such
peculiar surroundings and ideas as to denote that although
painting had advanced greatly, yet there was much need of
better drawing and more study of anatomy, drapery and
accessory details before anything like perfect harmony could
be attained.

G-radually llie colouring of the windows became more
harmonised, the garisli colours softened down, and the
draughtsmanship of both figure and ornament vastly im-
proved. Not only was the artistic portif)n of the window
raised to a higlu^r kwel, hut the material upon which the
artists worked — the glass -was now taken in hand and
greatly improved in colour, thickni‘ss and texture.

Of Early Pf‘rp(uidicu]ar woi’k there an' many fine examples
left to us, among them }>eing :

New College Chapel, (kxford ; Winchester College
Chap(d.

There are three early windows in tiie clerestory of the
choir of York Minster, and the east window^ of the same
building was placed there in 1405, and other windows during
the reigns of Henry IV., V. and Yl.

The windows in the transept of the Ante-Chapel in All
Souls Chapel, Oxon., an; of the time of Henry V. Of the
reign of Edward IV. tln're an* windows in both Great and
Little Malvern Church.

In Italy many fine windows were painted between 1400
and 1450, many of the cartoons Ix'ing drawn hy celebrated
artists of that wonderful ag<' of art revival, and in several
of the windows the; influence and style of such truly great
artists as Giotto and Orcagna are clearly observable, especially
in the twisted columns and (juaint niches and gables for
which those artists were noted. *

In the Archives of Elon'iice Catluidral is an entry und^r

‘JO A TREATISK ON THE ART* OF GLASS PAINTING.

the date 1487, which lets a little light into the price paid to
and the mod(^ of WT)rking of the artists of those days : —

‘‘Paid to Lorenzo di Ihirtoluccio ((jhiberti) seven florins,
being the half of the price of his skill and labour for drawing
four figures on paper of bombagia, for a window’ to be
ex(‘cuted by Pernardo di Francesco, at three livres per
figure.”

Here we hav(‘ the price for drawing and ])ainting the
figures, and wi' know that “ bombagia ’ wiis a coarse; cotton
material.

The Italians claim that Ihiile (liacomo, wdio practised
glass^painting at Bologna, invemted “stain,” but this is an
error, as Liacomo died in 1491, while stain was known in
Kngland mon* than 180 years befori' that date'.

The Later Per])endicnlar era, ami (‘veii as far as 15fi0,
saw glass painting in Kngland at its zmiith, and not only
that particular art but almost all other arts.

Tlie skill of the armoimT wiis at its greatest ; his craft
having made armour to fit the human figun^ to p(;rfection,
and to give it the masteiT over the weapons of th(' period,
turned to the emb^ilishment of the w’ork, and marvels were
wi’ought in steel. The “ latten ” (or monumental brass) en-
graver now’ produced his finest work, thanks to the armour
and costumes of the day. Tapestry as an art never
flourished « more, and many grand examples of this epoch
an; now^ in our museums and the seats of our nobility.

The costumier of this ag(‘ w ent to the most extravagant
lengths in producing not only grand garments, but, his
inventions running riot, he freipiently came pe^rilously
near the grotesque and ludicrous in liis striving for new'
fashions.

This period saw' the glories of architecture carried to a
point as near perfection as the world has ever seen, and
hundreds of churches now standing testify to the cleverness

A SHORT HISTORV OF OLAStS. 21

of the architect and the skill of the builder, the wood carver,
the stone mason, aiid the smith.

‘ With such perfection in contemporarv art work, can it
be wondered at tlial ^lass paintin<r also leached its zenith
at this time ?

Many ol tlie eanoj)ies of this (‘Ta wert' veritable master-
pieces, and th(' pr()i)()rti(>ns l)etwo(;ii subjects and hfrnres and
the an hitectuial portions ol the windows wcn'e inHpK'ntlv vcTy
harmoniously balanced. Tlu‘iv was no set rule, but in single
ti^mre windows the firoportions were about as follows: —

The fi^mre took nj> nearly half the hei^dit of ih(‘ lii^ht,
the canojiy nearly a third, while the hei^rht ol tlu* base was
about ecjual to the width of the lij^ht. The shaftm^r o„
side iiii^ht be about one-sixth of the width ol the li^dit. An
example of this may bo seen in the “ Madonna and (hiild ”
window of All Souls (k)lle^e, Oxford.

The hgnni shown on next paj^i* is a ty])ical on(^ of the
sixteenth century, liokl and vi<^orous, the lead lines beinj.;
unnoticeable except wh(‘n> tlnw divide the sjiear into man-
ageable lengths.

Among the linest examples ol this fjate ikapendicnlar
style are the noted windows at J^'airford, in ( rlouc(‘st('rshire
(] 500-1 520), perhajis the linest colh;ction of windows in
England ; although the less known windows ol St. Neot’s
('hurch, Cornwall, are almost if not (juite (‘rpial to them,
and the writer would like his brother aniKpiarians to make
a special visit to inspect them.

Whether either of these c.ollections were the work of the
J3ritish school is more than doubtful, jirobably th(‘y were of
Flemish workmanship. It has been said that Albert Diirer •
made the cartoons for th(‘ h\xirford windows, but this has
not been proved — tht* folds of the drapery are unlike his work.

The fine east window of St. MarganA’s (Jhurch, West-
minster, which has quite a history attached to it, is certainly
foreign work, and in some respects a fine window.

A TBEATISE ON THE ABT OF GLASS PAINTING.

Probably much of the work which we ascribe to foreign
studios was really painted in England, but by foreigners,
many of whom came to England betwefen 1500-1550.

Pr(.. n — St. Michael and tlie Dragon.

There is a fine example of Flemish glass in Lichfield
Gathedral, some considerable remains in Martham Church,
Norfolk, and in many other places.

A SHOET HISTOHY OF STAINED GLASS.

23

It must be noted that during the Perpendicular Period
no enamel colours were used, if we except, perhaps, flesh
red, which mad^ its appearance about 1510.

For obtaining the beautiful diapered patterns on ruby
dresses a mode of removing the “ flash ’ of the ruby by
abrasion was introduced about 1450, and nearly one hundred
years later this function was performed with the aid of a
roughened steel wheel, which chi})ped and rubbed away the
surface until the white parent glass was reached.

By the way, ruby glass w^as now made nnudi more
scarlet in tone than formerly, and to facilitate the o])e]’ation
of “ diapering ” the flash was made miieli thinnef, only
about one-fourth the total thickness. Nowadays the “ flash ”
is only one-sixth or even one-eighth the entire sul)stance of
the glass, and is readily eaten away or destroyed by using
hydrofluoric acid.

During the later period most of the coloured glass was
made less deep in tone and less gaudy or harsh in colour.

Lofty windows were frequently cut up into tiers or rows
of flgures or subjects, which were separated by short canopies
or sub-bases. This arrangement gave gf very fine effect ; the
white architectural work and the fully coloured figures or
subjects acting as foils one to the other, and harmonising
very effectively with the buildings in which they were placed.

Perspective was introduced with happy effect both in
canopies and subjects, and with these marked improvements
stained glass arrived at its greatest perfection.

What some call the Cinque-Cento style lasted from 1500
to perhaps 15fi0, and some few examples of it may be seen
in various parts of England. #

King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, has a number of
windows in this style painted between 1520 and 1530, whilst
Balliol College Chapel, Oxford, also has some examples, of
the same date.

24

A TKKATISS: ON 'JHE AJtT VjF GLASS PAINTING

Lovers of sixteenth century ^dass, when near Shrewsbury,
will be amply rewarded by visiting St. Mary's Church, which
contains many unicpie specimens, upon the inspection of
which a couple of hours may be very profitably and enjoy-
ably spent.

Many critics place the ( -in(|ue-C(mto style as the pinnacle
of the glass painting art, and really with good grounds, as
the many beautiful examples existing will prov(‘.

The style was characterised by the employment of the
Italian or iieiiiaissance ornament, which is so easily handled
and adapted to the glass ])ainter's art.

Sohietimc's the Ihnuiissance and the Gothic siyl(‘s were
to some (ixtent blended, and frequently with hai)])y results
when in capable hands, hut before the style could be brought
into a true and distinct typ(' the Kefor]jiatio]i came lik(‘ a
mighty cloud over our land, and by its dense shadow blotted
out, or nearly so, the rage for glass painting and other art
work, which had for ages held its benetic.ial sway onct
England.

Eor the time ]>enig stained glass was banished from the
church to find only* a moderate shelter in the houses and
halls of the upper classes, and the castles and mansions of
the nobility.

Gothic; architecture and glass jiainting, which for (;enturies
had gone like brothers, hand in hand, gradually sickened and
became; invalids together, but neither of them actually died,
although they came perilously near doing so.

About the time of the sickening of the art in England it
came to its greatest jierfection in Holland, as majiy great
1 and beautiful windows testify.

Among the chied practitioners of the art were two
brothers, Diedrick and Wouter Crabbeth (or as we should
call them, Theodore and Walter), who for many years
carried on the art, jc;alously guarding the secrets of their

A SHORT HISTOI8Y OF STA1NE]> GLASS.

25

profession by never speaking upon the subject before a
third person.

They dwelt and painted for nikny years in Haarlem ; and
the huge windows in St. Jan’s Kerke, Gouda, which were
painted between 15^5 and 1()03, may still be seen by travel-
lers. They have a style of their own, and show a very liberal
use of enamel colours, which, by the way, were introduced
into England about 1550.

bor those who hav(‘ a penchant for arithnuitic we may

relate that the great window, “ I’he Oifering of Elijah,'^
painted by the Crabbeths, contains 805 s(|uare feet, and was
paid for at the rate of JOi stivcTS per foot.

Dwellers in London may see a fine Keiiaissancc^ window
in St. George’s Church, Hanover Square.

Of the ecc(mtricilies and curiosities of stained glass a long
chapter might be written, but we have room hertj for only
one example, a humanised eagle represeriting St. John the
Apostle. Even staid old monks enjoyed a little humour.

56 A TBEATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS POINTING.

The iDtn)duction of enamel colours into England about
1550-60 helped or commenced the decay of stained glass,
which - so early as the end of the sixteen,th century may be
said to have become a neglected art, for in even the early
years of the seventeenth century we shall look in vain for
examples that could in the least compare with th(5 glories of
the beginning of the previous century.

In Balliol College, Oxford, is a large window painted in
1687 by Abraham van Tiinge, but although it has its merits
in di’awing, etc., tint uns])aring use of enanu'l colours gives it
a dull, subdued appearance, its brilliancy being entirely lost
l)y the employment of enamels instead of pot-metal glass ;
hence a dull, sad look, instead of a bright, joyous piece of
work.

In Christ Church College Chapel is anothc^r specimen by
the same artist, by which it maybe seen that he had entirely
missed the true mosaic spirit of glass painting by relying
upon enamels — in other words, b(» mistook glass for canvas.

Wadham College, Oxford, has a series of twelve window's
painted by Bernard van Linge in 1622. They are carefully
drawn and fairly coloured ; but the aggregate area is so great
that the work could not have been the sole w^ork of one pair
of hands ; probably he was responsible for the drawing of
the cartoons, and had a stab’ of Flemish painters to execute
the actual glass for him.

In 1638 two window's w'ere painted by one, Baptista
Button, for St. Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch, which were
similar to those just mentioned.

William Price, the only seventeenth century artist of
note, is responsible for a large and very poor window in
Merton College Chapel. It is a fair specimen of the art of
the period; but the very best windows then painted were
only mediocre, while many did not reach even such an
unenviable level.

A 6H0RT HISTOllY OP STAINED GLASS.

27

The truth is, the art of mosaic ^lass painting had been
■almost lost sight of, and in adopting the enamel style of glass
painting the artis4is had only the ‘choice of two evils : to paint
in a transparent style and so produce thin, washy work, or
to paint in an opaque manner (as in canvas painting) and so
produce a turgid, dull and denser effect, lacking translucency,
l)rilliancy, purity of colour, and every other attribute of a
good window. Bui if the seventeenth century produced
nothing better than ])Oor glass, what shall W(^ say of the
eighteenth century work? What can w(‘ say in its favour
other than to thank Providence there was but very little
of it ! •

One, Peckill of York, has left an unfortunate record of
the dire decay into which glass painting bad fallen in the
eighteenth century. In painting some windows in the north
side of New College Chapel, C)xford (facing the Linge
windows), which are dated from 1 7(55 to 1774.

Better than Peckitt’s windows were some specimens
painted fifty years previously by William Price, junior, son
of the painter of Merton College window\ They may be
seen in Queen’s College and Magdafen College, Oxford.
They are well drawn, but the style of painting is more
suitable for canvas than for glass. The skill of the artist
is evident, but the execution of the true glass painter is
absent.

In this century lived an artist named Kowell, who painted
a great deal of work for the Earl of Pembroke, but he
evidently lacked the method of preparing his colours, which
after a few years faded away, as he hinis(*lf did after invent-
ing a beautiful red or ruby colour. The secret of his invention#
he would not divulge, even on his death-bed, and he carried
it to his grave. Probably his ^secret was for the manufacture
of ruby enaiuel ; if so, its importance was not of very ^reat
value, and it bas since been rediscovered.

28

TRKATISE ON THE AKT ‘OF GLASS PAINTING.

Ill 1757 theiv was a glass painter of Jliriiiingliam who
painted a window for Haglcy Clnircli, commissioned by Lord
Lyttleton, but lu'coming ‘bankrupt he painted no more.
IVobably he found more jileasure than profit in the art.

Peckitt of York did not die until 1820, when he must
certainly have been a very old man. “Ars longa, vita
brevis" is a usually acc(^pted dictum on art, but, fortunabdy
for ])osterity, Peckitt reversed th(‘. order. Other English
artists of tlu^ (Ughteimth century wcu'e Forrest, Fj-ank I'.gerton,
Heniy (rik^s, Itobert Godfrey, and, last but not least, Jervais.
who early in the century ])ainted the great window in New
(^ollegk*, Oxford, from the cartoons of Sir Joshua Ite^ynolds,
and }jy some strange* dedusion mistook glass for canvas, and
so painU'd a dreadful daub, and left on riicord a wxinde'rful
capacity of inability as a glass jiainte'r.

Glass jiaiuting never entirely died out, for din ing the last
third of the eighteenth and the first third of the ninet(;enth
centuries many persons dabbled in the mysti'ries of the art, but
produced absoluteJy nothing worth looking at in the wuiy of
church w'indows, but this particular jieriod was noticeable for
the number of mediitfllions which werepainti'd in the l^deniish
and German style, ddiey were; usually sipiariis oi* circles of
whit(' kelp glass, about a foot a(;ross, chargiHl with scriptural,
historical or mythological subjects, coats of arms, flowers,
etc.

TJiey were jiainted on good but thin glass, and were well
drawui, painted and shaded ; the only colour used beside the
brown colour hdng stain, and the effect w^asgood, as the work
w’as carefully and wGl executed.

The}' were usually leaded up witii some colour in the
border, and readily sold for from one to five guineas apiece,
and were frequiuitly leaded into liall, staircase or dining-room
window’s, in whiGi* jiositions they may still b(' seen in some
of our old country halls and mansions.

A SHORT HISTORY OF ^AINEH GLASS. 29

8o, with the patching and tinkering of existing windows,
we come down to the time of the revival of glass painting in
England, wliich may say really commenced about 1840,
when Lord Rollo and othcT noblemen caused windows to be
painted as gifts to various edmrches.

The athunpts of the revivalists were, naturally, unecpial
in merit, and were frecpientlv total failure's ; but the impetus
given to tlie resuseitatioii was a genuint' striving to regain an
almost lost art, and caused a certain amount of rivalry among
the few glass ])ainters then in practice*.

Their drawing lacked tin; vigour of tbe old master painters,
and they fell into the grave (‘rror of bkuiding the styles of
two or three pc'riods into oiu' window, making an incongruous
hash of the wholes

Their glass was of tlie worst jiossibk' desc-i’ijition for glass
painting purposes, thin, flat, and of the same tone throughout
the sheet, blue was reminiscent of washing-day and

its accompanying blue-bag; ruby — bkx'd rt'd, and without
variation of toiu' ; grei'n — of the grass oi’ cabbage tint ; and
yellow' of a flat and gaudy amber,

Th(iir ])aintmg was the only rede«nnng point of the
revivalists, windows ])ainted betwxuui 1810 and 18(50 being
often skilfully and artistically ('xecuted.

After 18(50 very rapid strides were made m tlu^ art, tbe
foundation of which was the discovery of the ancient methods
of making glass, or rather of the conijioueiit 2)arts of ancient
glass.

This joint discovery and manufacture of antique” glass
by Winston, a lawyer, and lk)well, a glass maker, made it,
for the first time for nearly dOO years, possible to paint good ^
windows, as the tone, texture, transluceney and brilliance of
the work was thereby assured.

This rediscovery of antique glass wafj not accomplished
until a large sum of money and much time and patience in

30 A TREATISE ON TH^! ART p¥ GLASS PAINTING.

experimenting had been expended ; but modern scientific and
analytical knowledge, which knows no impossibilities, was
brought to bear upon the subject, and, as mentioned, about
1800 the first sheets of “ antique ” glass were placed on the
market and quickly seized by stained glass artists, making
it clear to the makers that a demand for such glass did exist,
and they therefore p(‘rsevered with its manufacture and
improvement.

At the present day as fine, and in many cases even finer,
glass is made than in the palmiest days of monkish painters.
Its texture, variety of tone and thickness of substance, its
translKcency and brilliancy, leave nothing further to be desired
or sought after.

The rising generation of glass painters were carefully
taught the art, and men made it the study of their lifetime,
finding that the remuneration attending excellence in the
art to he worth striving for, so that with the study of years
the ordinary painter became truly an artist, loving his lasting"
art, and enjoying the profession which gave him such scope
and possibilities of effect.

The designs and cartoons are now the? special work of
trained draughtsmen, men who have from early youth made
a study of drawing for glass, and which can only be accom-
plished by those who are thoroughly versed in style, costume
and technique.

Many royal academicians and other noted artists, from
Sir Joshua Reynolds downwards, have tried their hands at
drawing cartoons for glass, but nine out of ten have been
obliged to admit failure. Some have just scraped through
^ the ordeal with the help of practical glass painters who have
been allowed to make “little alterations”. Among those
who have successfully drawn for glass are Burne Jones,
Stacey Marks, Cope and othdrs.

This is essentially an art age, and probably the school

A SHORT HISTOR'y OF S^lPAINED GLASS.

31

of draughtsmen of the present day (those who have been
trained for nothing else but glass) are superior to the best
designers and cartoonists of the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries.

In glass drawing and painting it is no exaggeration to
affirm that at the present day windows are executed which
may vie with anything produced in inediaGval times.

Certainly the painting of ancient glass can bo quite
equalled by the best modern painters, and the world has
never seen finer glass ; besides which, modern brushes and
appointments play a prominent part with latter day work,
so that altogether there is no excuse if good work is not
produced if properly paid for.

There is perhaps only one point in which ancient glass
has any advantage over the best modern productions, which
is that over the ancient work the hand of old Father Time
has thrown a glamour, a pearly lustre, which gives a mellow,
soft tone, and blends all the paler tints into one glorious
harmony.

The revival of glass painting in England has increased
the number of firms from four or five ir^ 1H45 to about BOO
at the close of the nineteenth century.

Of this number, however, but few understand the true
principles of the art, many of the so-called “firms” being
house decorators or co-operative stores.

Of the true painters, men of skill and artistic training,
there are feioer than the number of glass painting “ firms ” —
possibly they may number from 200 to 250.

Many of the so-called “ firms ” of stained glass artists are
merely ornamental lead glaziers, who upon receiving a com-
mission for a painted window either farm it out to another
“ firm,” or produce a window of their own, which will be
handed down to posterity as an*"example of English art work
of the twentieth century !

A TREATISE ON TIIE ABT#0F OLASS PAINTING.

In a book of this kind it would be somewhat invidious
to point out the finest windows painted, say, during the past
twenty years, although suck a task would to a connoisseur be
a very interesting one, but being one of the craft the writer
cannot with wisdom indulge in such a pleasure.

Fig. 5.— Quarr> of Henry Vll.

CHAPTER IT.

DKSTGNINCr SCALE DRAWlNCiS.

The actual of a window, a])art from its drawing or

painting, is of paramount importance ; and more stiid^ and
practical knowledge must l)e expended upon it than upon
any other stage of the many processes whicli go to the
making of a stained glass window.

Consideration must first Ik^ given to the s})ace to be
filled, and as the stonework allows only a limited breadth
of glass between the niullions, care must be taken to avoid
an overcrowding of figures m the subject scdected.

A beginner, even though he be a very clever artist on
canvas, had better limit his first efforts to single figures, by
which means a quicker knowledge of “ drawing for glass ”
will be obtained. He will more rapidly acijuire the knack
of hiding the l(;ad lines, discover the best folds for drapery,
the most effective backgrounds, and the modes of diapering,
etc. Small cantipies and bases, too, will have to be shown,
and these will open to him a wide study as to style and
purity of detail of the various architectural members which
go to make a well-balanc(jd setting to the central figure.

Having thoroughly studied the contemplated window in
one’s mind before putting a line on paper, the first step is
to decide to what scale the “ small design ” is to be made.
It is imperative that the design«be made to an exact scale,

or it would be impossible to draw the cartoons or fulf-

3

34 A TREATISE ON TftE ART^OF GLASS PAINTING.

sized drawings from it, so that every part should work out
in due proportions to the actual window.

Any scale may be choseci in which the draughtsman feels
he can best render his ideas of the resultant window. Some
are content in a small design to give just a mere outline of
the pose of the, vai'ious Hgures, and a very sketchy outline of
canopies, bases, shafts, etc., without any attempt at lines of
drapery or arclutectural dcitails, simply trusting to a colour
schenu^ and the due halanca; and ]>roportion of the various
sections of the window as a whole. Such a design might
be drawn to half-inch scaki ; that is, each half-inch of the
small design would ni])resent a foot in the actual window.
Such a scale should only Ix' ust'd by the expert draughtsman,
whose years of study will enable him to ])orti‘ay the general
effect of th(‘ finished window without taking d('tail at all into
consideration.

Those not conversant with drawing for stained glass
should work to a larger scale. Some who put great thought
into the work will adopt even a two-inch scal(\ and cram in
every hit of detail as if it were; the design and not tin* glass
which was ultimatiily to he held up to admiration.

Expenence shows that much time' thi*own away on the
minute details introduced in a scale dimving might more
appropriately and hcuieficially he used upon the drawdug of
the large e.artoons. A two-inch scale i-e([uires so much
elaboration, that nearly as much time is expended upon it
as upon the full-sized cartoons of an ordinary window.

To the art amateur tinu* is of little moment, and the
hours devoted' to gathering and planning the items of a
design art' hours of pleasure ; to the art workman hours
spent ill drawing of needless mimitio,' may be hours of
purgatory.

It must not be imagined, however, that any slovenly
sketch will do as a design, for on the carefully thought Gu^*

DESIGNING. SCALE TdBAWINOS. S'i

attributes of a window depend the makiiij^ or inar!ring bf
the whole final effect. ' '

Balance of proportion in the various parts, depth and
amount of colour, size of figures, style of architectural sur*
roundings, treatment of canopies and bases, position of bars
for fixing, and a hundred othei' things must find illustration
in the design, and must each la^ fully and finally discussed
in the draughtsman’s mind Indore a line' is put on paper.
Probably the l)est scale for a design will be one inch to a
foot — ^each eighth of an inch -- ont^ and a half inches. For
all practical purposi^s such a scab* is ample to give the true
effect of both figurt*s and colouring, without allowiftg too
much scope for the introduction of minute detail. This
scale IS used by most Fnglisb firms, unless every line of
drapery and the expi’essioii on tin* faces are to be shown,
when either one and a half inches (one-(*ighth -- out* inch)
or the two-inch scale is adoptiui.

To avoid mistakes those* (b*signmg for th(i first time
might try the inch and a half scale*, as tliey hav'e* only then
to reune3mber that one-eighth of an inch in the design re*})re-
sents one iiiejh m the cartoon. Feir iimtance, if the^ actual
figure in a window were to he Iwei fee't high, it wendd be
represented in the. de^.sign by one thre'e inedies high ; thus,
when elrawing tlui eartexm from tlie small design, we*, might
measure the latte*!* from the lieael e)f the* figure) to its waist,
and find it seven -eighths e>f an inedi, anel we slioiild then
know we must draw it seven inclie's in the cartoejn ; from lop
of head to chin might he three.-e»ighths of an inedi, and we*,
should therefore draw it tliree* ine‘lies, etc., ete*.

Now led us see Imw a design is made. Kvery artist lias
certain manners and ways of setting about the task, and
differs from his fellows in scale, kind of })aper used, mode of
colourings way of finishing, stfle of moujiting, and other
items ; but we will give an easy anei agreeable method

8(> A TREATISE ON T^E ART ‘OF GLASS PAINTING.

which all can grasp, providing that at the outset the person
about to design is a fairly good draughtsman and colourist ;
in other words, that he has ^iearnt the A B ,C of art.

The usual kind of paper used is Whatman’s. This
should be “ hot-pressed ” for very small designs, or N.H.P.
(not hot-pressed) for larger designs. If a piece of the re-
quired siz(' is cut off it should be slightly damped with a
sponge and clean water on the back, and when limp attached
to the drawi]ig board, either by pasting round the edge or
with drawing pins. It should then be stood in a warm
place and allowc^d to dry naturally, not by being placed
near U Wlu'n dry pro(*,eed to make a pencil scale

in one corne]’ of the j)apei’ from which to work. Draw a
straight line three inches long and divide it into three equal
portions, each of which will represent a foot. Next divide
the first inch into twelve parts, each of which will represent
an inch on the design. The space to be covered by the design
must next be marked upon the drawing paper ; let it repre-
sent a window six f(‘et high by one foot six inches in width.
Our space should therefore be six inches high by one and a
half inches wide ; this we draw, and surround it by another
line foriiiing a Oothic; head, half an inch larger all round than
our window. This space should then be tilled in black,
which may be done by using Stephen’s ebony stain, which,
by-th(^-bye, makes a capital ink when somewhat diluted, and
is a very handy pigment foi- artists who desire an intense
black in their working drawings. Next comes the question,
“ What shall be our theme— a figure or subject? ”

We will try a figure standing on an architectural base, and
« surmounted by a fifteenth century canopy, just sufficient to
give an idea for making a design, and leaving it to the practised
draughtsman to evolve more elaborate and larger designs
from his own ideas, but still*' following the general rules here
mentioned.

^Karly Sixteenth Century Window : Typical
Perpendicular Work.

DESIGNING* SCALE DRAWINGS.

87

Our figure shall be one of 8t. Paul, and our aim shall he
to have a richly coloured figure on a coloured background,
surrounded by ai»chitectural accessories of a pale tone stained
in certain parts, giving a silver and gold effect.

For a window six lecit high we may have a figure occupy-
ing half the height, which will give dignity and size to Bt.
Paul, rendering liiin the (;entre and sources of attraction and
colour, and yet leaving aiiipk' space to show b(‘autiful sur-
roundings oi enriched IVa'pendicmlar work.

Th(^ canoijy may occu])v from one foot niii(‘ inches to two
feet, say a tliird of th(‘ total height, and the base and in-
scription afoot, or one-sixlh of the whole; height. *

We thcirefore draw a faint vertical line down the centre of
our paper, and mark it off into six jiarts, or h^et, viz., two
parts for can()])y, three for figure', and one; for hast'.

Whether the figuie or the “ ornament " is put in first is
perhaps of iittk; moment, but' the figure; btnng tin; principal
part of the window is usually attended to first by most
draughtsmeni.

“ Where do you get your idea eif the figure from ? "

Well, a trained draughtsman has little; trouble in that
respect ; he poses his lay figure or gets a friend to stand for
him, and sketches the pose, afterwards adding drapery with
swinging but simple and few feilds. Knrichments in the way
of borders, diapers, jewels, etc., are an after consideration,
and concern the cartoonist rather than tin; designer.

Practice at drapery gives the (;xperi(;nced stained glass
artist such facility that he can sketch out a figure in an hour
such as it would take an ordinary draughtsman a day to
invent; such is the cpiickness and foresight given to one*
practised at figure work that expert men require no small
design whatev(;r, or at most a^very j-ough lead pencil sketch.

For the amateur who has not the gff't of inventing^ his
own figures, poses, or drapery, let him visit some of our

A TREATISE ON THE ART 5f GLASS PAINTING.

•SB

-churches, the National Gallery, South Kensington Museum,
or even any print or photograph dealers, and he will doubt-
less obtain what lie requires in the way of figures, or, should
h(' be on speaking terms with a stained glass artist, let him
iiorrow a suitable figure.

The water-colour rooms of the National Gallery, situated
under the galleries containing the oil paintings, are not visited
by a titlie of those*, wlie mak(' a cursory rouiul of th(5 building ;
hut students of stained glass will find a wealth of fifteenth,
sixteenth and sevenhH'nth (-(Mitiirv* work hung on the walls
of these downstairs rooms, which ('ontain many very fine
studies of figiu'es eniniently suital)le for staiiKul glass, with
a very little in th(‘- way of alteration or adaptation.

Having obtain'd a study of 8t. Paul suitable for the
purpose, draw it e.and'ully on a separate j)ie(x; of ])apcr, and
make all necessary alterations. Then, being siitisfied with
your figure, trace it with a fine pen and ink on tracing paper,
and transfer it to the space reserved for it on your drawing
paper. This may be managed by well rubliiiig the back of
the tracing with black lead pencil, and then traiisfeiTing by
going over all th(^. liifes with a stylus of bone, ivory, or steel.
Sufficient pi’c^ssiire to transfer the Idack lead should be used
and no more.

When transferred, go carefully over the figure with an
HHHHH pencil, and it is ready for colouring.

di’aw anihitoctural canopy work true to style and date
requires the study of years, but there is a royal road open to
every one, and that is to copy exam])les of existing ancient
’work, or even some of the very beautiful drawings of modern
artists, who have travelled and studied in many countries,
and brought their art to great perfection.

Those who wish to take ^ip glass painting should, when
on .a visit to any [lart where stained glass may bo seen, and
it is almost everywhere, take their sketch or pocket book and

besioning'scXle drawings. '3d

note down bits of canopy woi'k — crockets, finials, pendants,
shafts, bases, and enrichments— -and in time they will, from
the fragments, be enabled to bni^d up beautiful work, true to
style and correct in Colour and drawing.

Visits to the Routh Kensington and British Museum
libraries will give an abundance' of c^xamples of the best
work oi all periods, and many towns and villages in England
have exaiii])les of fair vv(n-k that th<‘. novice (who has not
the o.ntriUi to our national colk^ctions) may copy and profit
from.

Having collectc'd yom iletails lor a ('ano])v, sk('tch it out
as you did your hgur(\ and in the saim^ way transfer it to
your paper, and ])encil it in neatly and carefully. The shaft-
ing and base must Ik* done m tlu' sanu' way, so that as a
result yon have an outliiu' pencil drawing, in which yoilr
architectural work must be very (uirefully drawn, paying
great attention to the main lines and masscis, and giving but
little heed to smaller details, which (ran afterwai’ds be added
with the pen.

Eor the style of coloui'ing s(jarc('ly two artists adc^pt
the same mode, and the <‘,onse(pu‘ncf‘ is a difference of
techni(]ue, of tone, and of finished (effect ; but these are
things which only concern the mature artist, the colourist
of experience. As modes of (colouring vary so much, all the
methods cannot he explained, the wi iterwill therefore simply
place his own method on record, that otJiers may alter, accept,
adopt or rciject as they please.

The pencil drawing being finishcKl, cover the whole space
of the design with a fairly full wash of a greenish-yellow
tone (gamboge and Hooker’s green No. 1), as near the tone
of ancient glass as possible, and allow it to dry ; this forms a
warm ground, and giv(‘s a peculiarly luminous appearance
and ivory tone to the drawing when finished. First Jake
the canopy work in hand, and ])ut in all the shaded portions

40 A TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

with Vandyke brown cooled with a bluish-green, deepening
the shadows with a warm grey. When dry touch in the
enrichments, which are to^ be stained, with gamboge and
Indian yellow. For this particular figure of St. J^aul we
might colour it as follows : The cloak a warm white with
a diapered pattern of stain (yellow) and black powdered
entirely over it. The lining of the cloak a dullish green, a pale
olive, and tin* under robe ruby. The nimbus, back, border
of garment and shoes may Ix^ of varied stain — not too dark ;
the sword a grey whiter For the curtain background we
will choose a deep, dull, or brown yellow, treated with a
black fiia})er. 1^bis will be a retn^ating colour, and cause
the figure to stand boldly out, but it will not in the least
clash with the stain shown on the figure; or in the archi-
tectural work, Ixiing of a much dec'per and sombre hue.

Let us giv(* a few hints as to the mode of applying the
colours and the tints requii'ed. I’he warm white for the
cloak may be Indian y(;llow and Hooker’s green No. 1,
cooled in the deeper parts with Hooker’s green No. 2, and
a very little Vandyke brown. This should be applied with
some little regard to folds and the rounding of the figure.
The green for lining may be modified with a little burnt
sienna or umber. For ruby drapery the parts to be coloured
should always be first coated with a strong wash of gamboge,
which being allowed to dry thoroughly should receive a wash
of crimson lake of very varying depth, to give as much
resemblance as possible to the light and shade required in
the drapery and the nature of the ruby glass from which the
sections of drapery will be cut. In shading ruby use var>’-
r ing depths of madder brown, and for the; deeper shadows
Vandyke brown. The ruby in a window should be used
somewhat sparingly in most cases, but what is used should

r

be skilfully varied, ♦ so that the light and dark parts come in
the correct positions ; for in the judicious usage of ruby, in

DESIGNING •SCALE DRAWINGS. 41

jewel-like fragments, a poor window is frequently rendered
a very passable one, while large masses would produce a
tawdry, garish appearance. TifO curtain background may
be of any deep yellow, varied by the admixture of burnt
sienna, umber, and a little Indian red. The band at top of
curtain and its fringe may be stain and white. The back-
ground of the canopy will be ruby, and of the bast\ where
it shows in one or two small ])laces, a varied greenish-blue.
For the background behind the head of the figure, let it
be a blue varying from a ])aleish to nu'diuni depth, and
having a purplish huci in parts. It would hear a half tint
diapered pattern. Variety in torn' is the (‘harm of t good
window.

For shading th(^ gnx'u drapery us(‘ gnaui and Vandyke
brown, and as a rule, in putting in tlu^ folds of drapery, use
the self colour of the drapery, mixed with a decq) brown, to
imitate the painting pigment usc'd by glass painters upon
the actual glass.

For the flesh put in all shadows with a warm grey —
say burnt sienna, indigo and Vandyke, using njore or less,
according to the depth of shadow requhc'd. To take from
the green and sickly tone of dc'ath -a greenish straw tint,
from which the glass for flesh is usually cut —a very delicate
wash of light red is by some permitted, hut by others such a
proceeding would be tabooed ; it would cause a very visible
shudder. This (juestion of flesh red is a moot point among
modern glass painters, but as it was not introduced into
England till about 1510 it should, strictly, not be used in
imitating work ulterior to that date. Of course if one is
imitating Early English, Decoratcid Flemish, or Swiss work,
it is permissible to imitate the reddish flesh glass of th(‘ time,
but it was rarely used during the sixteenth ccintury, and there-
fore for Perpendicular work should not be used. Yet th^ere
are masters who paint very fine Perpendicular windows, and

42 A TEEATrSE ON THE ART W GLASS PAINTING.

are not prool' against using just a soupcon cf Chinese red-—
just a film to take off that corpse-like pallor and differentiate
between the similitude of w^riii, living flesh and the cold hue
of white drsLpcry.

When doctors disagree who shall decide ?

Now our drawing is colouied, and the next step is to put
in th(i lead lines with a ])en charged with Vandyke brown and
burnt sienna. Aft(T that is coin])leted dilute some of the
same colour, ainl witli a vt'ry firu' ]uui add the dc^tails to the
architectural work, give a litth; definition to the finials and
crockets, add little windows, lirackets, terminals and pin-
nackv^ defiiK* tlie h'atiiri's and fingers, the nimlms, etc., of
the ApOHtl(\ add a pattern to th(‘ boi'di'r of the r()b(% a fringe
to the curtain, etc., and generally bring out what has before)
only been iiidicateal. When this has been done it will be
found that the general appearance of the colouring is we^ak ;
tins is from the contrast of the dark lead lines and the orna-
ment you have introduced. Yon must thendbre carefully
go over the design again, adding de^pth where re<]uiied, until
you arrive at the goal of every art worker — a noble, one, but
difficult to reach — perfection. Let us look a little further
into colour as apjiliod to stained glass, l^urple is broadly
divided into two kinds, red purple and blue purple, which are
each again 8])lit up into an infinity of different shades. For
rendition on paper the former may be composed of carmine
or crimson lake and Prussian blue, both of them transparent
colours, which may be varied by the admixture of a little
burnt sienna, madder brown or Indian red. For blue purple
use crimson lake and Prussian blue, or cobalt cooled with
indigo. Thus you may obtain every shade in red purple
from cinnamon to deep claret, and from lilac to the Tyrian
purple of ancient Koine. ^

^For obtaining H correct idea of colouring nothing will give
clearer insight than the study of genuine old glass, and by so

BESIGI^INO tICALS; DJlAWmGS/ #

doing the student will find that gaudiiiess and beauty have
no affinity or harmony. Loud tones and violent contrasts
may catch the \uVgar eye, and ciuse the uneducated tongue
to wag out an automatically uttered “ How boautifuJ ! ” but
the study of old glass will cause the stnd(^nt to note the peace
and restfuhiess of quiet and subdued colouring, (niriched by
little gems of lu^ight and checn iul glM.ss, siudi as on(‘ sees in
mediaeval work of th(' best period. Subdued does not iiu'an
sad, nor quiet e.oJouring gloomy ; one may have nchiiess
without vulgarity, and warmtli without glart' : vaht'tv, and
yet harmony and hriliianei', without garish uess.

Another ])()int is the amount of “ c-olour ' and th(^ afhoimt
of “ white ” glass in a good window, and tluu’t' again
examples must guide the drauglitsman --(^xanipli^s of exist-
ent ancient work ; for coloun'd drawings or prints are of
little or no use to the true art studcuit wlio wisluss to produce
not a pretty l)it (d‘ colouring, hut a cori’ect sp(^cim(ui, true to
the period and style of the glass he wislu's to ri'present.
Something of the quality and amount of colour introduced
in old windows may be gathered from the Short History
of Stained Glass in the first chapter of this hook.

The colourist will rememlier that when we view a window
from the body of the church we wish to see haiiuony of
colour, whether it bo pale oj- ridi in tone, or wh(‘-ther much
or little colour is introduced ; hut if a flaming patch of red,
or a cabbage green, or wash-tub blue be presented to our
gaze the trained eye at once detects it, tlu; mind is fixed
upon it, and the rest of the colouring being “ in place* ” is
not noticed. It is only the obnoxious pieces of gaudy and
harsh colour which rivet the attention and seuid thrills of
aversion over one’s whole being.

No colour should stand forjh from the window so as to
be observable at the first coup (Vwil, but should be so toiled
and qualified that each colour takes its jilace naturally and

44 A TEEATISE ON THE ART •OP GLASS PAINTING.

•

appropriately, so that no vulgar glarinf:^ colour may hurl
itself at th(} observer, as was the case with the windows of
thirty or forty years ago. * '

Many windows of the fourteenth century arc) composed
of more than two-thii-ds coloured glass, -while many of those
of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries show only about one-
fifth colour to four-fifths white glass.

Just a word as to “ white ” glass. Such glass does not
exist in the glass painter s racks ; that is, a glass which is
absolutely colourless.

To a stained glass artist every particle of glass must have
a tontf, he it of a greenish, yellowish or cold tinge. Of white
glass, so-called, there are some scores of tints, and diflerent
artists have difierent notions of the various tones whicdi
should he usc'd for different work, a matter we will speak
more fully upon und(‘r “ Cutting

When your design is fully coloured you may, if you wish,
wash it com])letely ovct — but very carefully — with mucilage
made from jiure gum arahic, melted in cold water, and kept
closely bottled. J’his gives great brilliance to the colours of
tlu' design, and imparts to it a metallic lustre or glassy
appearance, which some artists approve of, while others look
upon it as a kind of trick.

For mounting the design proceed thus ; Round the broad
black margin of your drawing, at the distance of an eighth of
an inch, run a fairly thick line, and just outside that again a
thin one. Next, at a distance of three-quarters of an inch, run
a pencil line, and to that pencil line cut a Gothic headed
mount out of grey or silurian tinted mounting board. Paste
your design on another piece of cardboard, place the mount
over it, and the w'ork is compkite.

If you cannot handle a knife sufficiently well to cut a
mount, take a pair of scissors and cut through the pencil
line surrounding your drawing, and carefully damp the back

DESIGNING ^ALE I>2lAWINGS. 45

of the drawing — very slightly — and fasten it upon the surface
of the tinted mounting board with paste or ordinary gum.

The cheapest .and best frau\ing is to lay the design
between two thicknesses of thin window glass, and solder a
broad lead round it. Then by soldering a couple of copper
wire loops at the corners it can l)e hung anywhere, and
remain free from soiling during the cutting, painting and
glazing of tlie window. The lead frame may be brushed
over with gold paint or Brunswick blacik, or painted to suit
any individual taste.

We have simply shown how to make one small design,
but it will serve to giv(‘ the student the modm opcrtn^li for
larger and more complicated windows.

Eiu. 0. — Cologne Cathedral, 1530.

(^HAPTEK IIL

('Aim)ONS AND THE CUTLINE.

Havind coiiiplt'Did the small desijj^n or scale (li awiii*^, I he
next sto]) is to commojKH' the full-siyaul vvoi'kiii^^ drawin*; or
cartoon. Why it is (ialled a (airtooii is probably to distin^nisti
it fi'om drawinj^s on linen, canvas or otluir materials, as it is
said to be dcM ivi^l from the* Latin, airia — ])ape]'.

"J’Ik' cartoon paper may be purcdiasod by the yard at
most of th(' b'adin^^ artists’ c.olour dealers or stationers. It
IS in continuous rolls, thirty-six and fifty-four inches wide,
and may he had eith(;r in thick or thin quality, fine or
coarse ^.^n’aiiuul. The price varies fi'om fourpenci' to one
sliilliii” pel* linear yard. Eor lar^^e fi^mres th(' thick kind of
cartoon ijapi'i* should he chosen, while for small figures.
(^anopi(‘s, bases and othi'i* ornamental work, the thin variety
will be found Ix'st adapted. Tf the drawings are not to he
more than two feet square, “ Whatman’s ' or stout tairtridge
paper may he used. Cartoon paper takes colour fairly well,
but is of a somewhat absorbent nature. The work may he
drawn in chalk, charcoal, sejda or bistre. Each has its
distinctive advantages ; thus for large, hold figure work the
quickest is charcoal, as big shadows may be rubbed in with
a wash-1 eatlu'.r in a very ellective and expeditious manner.

P/halk is a medium giving fine black and white results,
but is not so quick a nuxliuiw to work with, and not readily
j'ubbed out for alterations or amendments.

CABTOONS AND THB rUTLINE.

47

Sepia and bistre are both pleasant to work in, and for
facility there is nothing to choose between them, the only
difference is that while sepia gives a blackish-brown tone to
the work, bistre gives a warm effect and is liked by many.
Either may be used for ornament and small figures or
subjects.

(hfAJU’OAii (f\irro()jsis.

The drawings of a geiiei-ation ago wt^re made upon pape.r,
whkih was first liberally brushed <)V(t with ordinary house-
painters’ size. ITpon this tlie figure was drawn, outlined and
shaded, after which the papei* was hung against a wall and
stearmnl. 4’his was done* liy a boy armed with a tin coffV^e-
pot arrangement with a long s)iout, tlie vi\d of whiedi was
flattened and spread out so as to pi’esent an orifice four or
five inches wide.

Tlie upper ])art was filk'd with wat('r and tlu' lower
section contained a spirit lamp. St(‘ani having been got up
the boy hedd the spout close' to the cartoon, going entirely
ovei* it, hit by ])it, steaming the caikx'n IVom top to bottom.
This procc^ss melted tlu' size, which in its wi‘t state absorbed
the charcoal ; hut upon cooling it formed a glaze over the
drawing and so r(indered it prool against Ix'ing smeared or
rubbed. Tliis ])rocess of steaming is now hut little used,
although its cost is infinik'simal.

A fixative', is now used which is wry tdfective and very
quick to work with. It may be bought at any colourman’s, or
may be made by melting resin in methylated spirit. It is
used with a vaporiser such as ladies us(' for the diffusion of
perfumes. The cartoon is simply spray tid or blown all over
with the fixative, which acts very effectiv(;ly in adhering the
charcoal to tlie paper. The sjiirit e\’aj>()rates and leaves an
almost invisible coat of the jt^sinous compound upon the
drawing which acts as a kind of varnish in preserving 4;he

A TEEATISE ON TFE AET^QF GLASS PAINTING.

charcoal from smearing. The charcoal used for these
drawings should be what is known as “ vine charcoal,” which
is made from vine steins in the wine district of France.

Chalk drawings ani made with ordinary black Conte
crayons Nos. 1, ‘2 and 8, the hard being used for delicate lines,
and the soft for broader lines, shadows, etc.

Many artists outline in chalk and put in the shadows
with powder(‘d charcoal, which is sold, finely ground, in
bottles. Tliis powder may be applied with a stiort-haired
brush, a piece of wash-leather, or an ordinary stump. 4’he
tip of the foi’(^finger is also an excellent tool for the modu-
lation ^and toning oil of broad or sweeping shadow's, folds
of drapery, etc. Of course when a “ fixative ” is used it is
not necessary to size or pref)are th(^ paper in any way, but
care should !)(> taken to choose a paper with a good grain,
otherwise, if a smooth surface be used, a dirty smear will
often lx; tlu‘ result instead of a well-graduated shadow'.
When a draw'ing is made entirely in chalk, or even with well-
rub bed -in charcoal, it may be fixed by passing through a
batli of milk and water, equal proportions of each.

Sepia drawings present the fewest difficulties to beginners,
as tin; c.olour can be spread, washed in, washed off, and
graduated w'ith little difficulty, and present a finished appear-
ance when completed. Any amount of detail can be worked
in, diapered patterns shown, and the jiarts to be stained
coloured yellow with charming effect.

With sepia drawings most of our readers are familiar, but
as chalk drawings by celebrated artists are seldom seen they
will pardon us if we mention the noble chalk cartoons of
Eaphael to be seen in one of the upper galleries of the
' Victoria and Albert Museum, Kensington. They are coloured
cartoons, and as perfect as when they left the artist s studio
400 years ago. *

Another grand chalk cartoon may be seen any day at the

CARTOONS TH# OUTLINE .

49

Gibson Diploma Gallery, Burlington House, Piccadilly, which
is open free to the public at stated hours. It is the immense
• cartoon by Danie^ Maclise, Ii.A.,Vepresent]ng “ The meeting
of Wellington and Blucher on the field of Waterloo,” an
historic event which did not take place; iievertheloss the
drawing loses nothing by the historical inaccuracy, but being
one of the fiiu^st chalk drawings in existence, should b(' scien
and studied by all cartoonists. The oil painting, or fresco,
executed from the cartoon is in the JToust' of Pomnions.

Chalk Js not so easily smeardl or s})()]led as cbai’CDal, but
needs fixing, wliicli may either be doiu' by thc^ milk process
or by having a double coating of fixative blown o» t it.
The second blowing should not tain* plain* till the first is
thoroughly dry.

Let us endeavour to niaki* a cartoon of St. Thiul from our
SJiiall design, which, it will be remenibei-ed, we left glazed and
in a leadtii frame.

Our full-sizinl figure is to be three feet higli.

We fasten a suitable length of cartoon ])a])ei- on our easel
— any ordinary easel with a long drawing boai'd, say four feet
by two feet, ])laced u]>on it — and mark a faint central line
from top to bottom, and also mark off a space on the line
three feet high : this we divide into twidve solutions, through
wTiich we rule liorizontal lines ; also at distances of three
inches apart we rule vertical lines, threi* on eacli side of the
central line.

We have now^ a space three feet high ))y one foot six
inches wide, ruled off into three-inch squares, upon which to
draw our figure.

We next taki’ the small design and with a fine mapping
pen filled with Indian ink or umber rule a central line upon
the glass down the centre of the design. 'Phis we flank with
lines a quarter of an inch apart, *and after making horizontal
lines above the Apostle’s head and beneath his feet, proceed

4

50 A TBEATISE ON Tf^B AET^ OF GLASS PAINTING.

to divide the intervening space into twelve sections, which we
rule neatly with fine lines.

We now have the figiird spaced out into little squares of a
quarter of an inch in diameter, just as we have our cartoon
paper squared up into three-inch spaces.

Commencing with the head, we gradually block out the
whole figure upon the paper, enlarging on the cartoon paper,
block for block, just what we see in the small design.

For this purj)ose a thin slick of vine charcoal should be
used, as it is so easily dusted off with a pi(;c(‘ of wash-leather
or soft linen.

Having blocked out the sha])e of the head, hands, sword;
and each mass of drapery, (carefully dust off the (diarcoal so
as to leave but a faint remainder, and proceed to put in the
features and folds of drapery, etc., with a lead pencil. Use
the pencil lightly, as it will not be rubbed out, and yet does
not want to be seen in the finished cartoon.

At this stage the lines of leading should be introduced.
This must Ix' done judiciously, so as to help and strengthen
the outline and give grace to the figure, and should be so
arranged as to be scarcely seen in the actual window. The
lead lines must be made to form part of the design of the
window, not merely as ugly vehicles for holding the com-
ponent parts together. ’

Easy curves around the various sections of glass must be
shown, and abrupt angles or breaks must form no part of the
scheme. Deep recesses or “ bays ” in the glass must not be
shown, as such are very difficult for the glazier to cut, and are
an absolute source of weakness to the window, such deep curves
being apt to be broken by the force of the wind during gales.

Look at the figure of St. Paul in the illustration, and-
scarcely any lead lines will be seen without they are looked
for, yet the figure is in upwards of sixty pieces, and will be
iwice crossed by iron saddle-bars for fixing, behind which

51

CARTOONS AND THE CUTLINE.

other lead lines may be placed when the ^^lass happens to
be in large pieces.

The lead lines*may be shown *a quarter of an inch broad,
and may be put in with umber and Indian ink, or with any
deep solid brown. When the lead lines arc^ diw proceed to
draw the figure, section by section, in sepia, first indicating
the principal lines and folds of the drapery, the book, sword,
and other details, and when these are shown in outline then
commence to put m tlu' shadows and folds, using larger
brushes. Flat camel-hair brushes will pt'rha])s be best.
The head and hands should be left till last, as they recpiire
more careful handling and more attention than the dfttpery.
As a rule, hands put in from the artist’s imagination are
usually very stiff and faulty, recourse should therefoj’c be
had to a model — one s wife, children, or friends are usually
handy, and will stand as model very willingly. If such
models are not to be had at the moment, one must do the
best he can with his own hands, s€;en in a t*onveniently
placed looking-glass. The shading need not be so deep as
in natural folds of drapery, for it must be rennunbenMl the
cartoon is only to serve as a guide to the glass jisiinter, and
not to be considered a highly finished drawing. The pattern
on the nimbus should Ik; shown, also the border of the outer
garment indicated, and the cartoon is complete.

It is seldom that a cartoon is coloured, but should it be
desired, the colours may be put in after the lead p(;ncil stage,
and due regard should be given to light and shade in this
matter, and to the general rounding of the figure;.

Although colouring cartoons is a practice; seldom indulged
in by English artists, yet it is frequently done on the ConU-
nent, and certainly gives a wonderfully enharn^ed effect at a
very little cost either in time or colour, A little of tVie latter
goes a long way in thin washes. English artists are usually
content with the black and white cartoon, the coloured

52 A TKHATISE OK THE ART«OF GLASS PAINTING.

design, and tli(‘ wealth and beauty of modern antique glass
fi’om which to make their windows, looking upon tlie colour-
ing of cartoons as “of no ^ earthly good ’\-a mere w^ork of '
supererogation ; besides which, black and white cartoons are
easier to paint from.

It sonu^times happens that a window' is required in a
great huny. It has to be unveiled on a certain day, or the
donor is going abroad, and would like to see it before starting
on tli(^ joiirnev. In such cases many excel knit window's have
been sinl])I^ roughed out in cbarcKial — a inert' outline ; but in
the hands of tiever glass painters the window turns out very
succei'fsfully.

It takes a glass painttT some time to learn to interpret
the style of a certain draughtsman, but wdien that style and
touch is masttuvd the work becomes much more interesting
and rapid. For this reason painters like to keep as much to
one draughtsiuiin as })ossible, and are frequently somew'hat
abroad wiu'ii they ari' suddenly called upon to paint from an-
other draughtsman’s cartoons, (’artoons should therefore be
w'('ll drawn— crisp, crumpled folds, or swinging, graceful lines •
well balanced, characteristic heads, flowing hair, and delicate,
well-drawn bands, and carte blanche given to the painter to
amend, inijirove or alter where he thinks advisabk^. Many
draughtsmen w ill not allow these liberties, and require their
work to be reproduced line for line and touch for touch : but
given a ck'vej' painter, much improvement may lx‘ shown
upon the most carefully drawn cartoon when the figure is
on the easel, and the accidents of colour, shade and texture
of the glass (‘an he taken into account by the painter, to the
great im])roveni('nt of the panel in hand. Two heads are
better than one.

As a rule figures are somewhat clumsily clothed in drapery,
\jTiich is again overburdened with a multitude of folds, many
of which might be left out, by which excision the figure would

CARTOONS Tlllf (’UTLINE.

58

gain in elegance, simplicity and breadth. A redmidaiK^y of
folds, as a rule, marks incapacity in the draughtsman.

Study early wQrk whether in glass, canvas, stone or even
brass, and note the few folds of drapery riMjuired l)y a really
ckwer artist to ])ortray an elegant figure.

To this end the draughtsman for staiiuni glass might
obtain muc'h assistance by studying sonu'
of the church brasses of tin; fourteimtli
and fift(!ent]i centuries, in which dignity,
breadth and gra,ce arc' obtained in niarvc'l-
lously few lines. Yet on looking a.t such
a brass a-s here representc'd it would lu'
difficult to sa\' wdu're a single* hnc' might
be added which would bel]) the figure oi*
give any gre^aten* chaim than it alrc'ady
possessiis.

Subject cartoons are drawn m tirc'cisc'ly
the same maniu'r as wdien a single* figure'
is desirc'd, only greatcT cari' is recjuirc'U in
the grouping and the introduction of ac-
cessoric's, or what a stage', manager might
term “ projiertic^s

^Po (Iraw^ a figure well is an enviable
art, but to be able to create and draw
subjc'c.t windows with originality and cor-
rectnciss is a crowning achicwcancmt of skill
possessed by but few^, and i-(;(juires much
study.

(/ostume of various pc'riods, armour, arcliit('cture, and the
manners and customs of thcM'poch rc)])resent('d must all be in
the knowdedge of the draughtsman, or vexing anachronisms
will be perpetratcal in glass wbicdi are much mor<! difficult
and costly to alter than in pain1;ings on canvas.

We have spoken of figure drawing, wv, will now lixainme

)()l li (’oiitiiry

il’ilSS

54 A TREATISE ON tAe ART tOF GLASS PAINTING.

a little into the architectural work of the window we have
taken in hand.

Cartoons for bases, shafts and canopies are invariably *
•drawn in sepia, and there is but little difference in the mode
of drawinj,^ tliein than in fif^^ure work. The paper is plotted
out into the same little squares, and the small drawing is
also squared up ])y lining the glass.

This lining upon the glass was an id(‘a of tli(^ writer’s, hut
many draughtsmen still follow the old routim; of taking a
(careful tracing of whatever is to drawn upon very trans-
jjarent and thin tracing ])aper, and then lining it into squares
wdth ju^l^en and ink.

This ju’ocess entails tim(\ and may injure the design if a
too sharp or hard pencil is used, oi* the design may be
accidentally soiled ; by the glass ju'ocess, however, this is
obviated. Again, in tracing anything much of the original
feeding is lost, and lines and touches often missed.

Having scpiared up the paper, prociicd to rough in the
canopy, blocking it out in charcoal without any regard to
detail.

That lieing satisfactorily done, carefully outline the vari-
ous shafts and ])innacles, crockets and fmials in pencil,
leaving out, or merely indicating, the minor ornamentation
and details, and proceed to put in the lead lines as you did
for the figure, remembering that backgrounds are very
obtrusive, and with that knowledge circumscribe their limits
as miudi as possible. The canopy is the main idea, the
background is an accessory — a neccissary one certainly, but
it must be kept as its name implies — in the background.

Much of the beauty of a canopy is brought about by
the background, which throws it into relief, bringing out its
beautiful tones of silver and gold, and acts as a dark setting
to the pinnacled aud crocketed work set upon it.

^llie shadows of the various members of architectural

55

CAETOONS AND THH OUTLINE.

detail will next be put in, and that will bring forth the
query, “Where shall I put my shadows and rounding up
► of the detail ? J.]sually a staiifed glass artist imagines his
light to come from the top left-hand corner of his drawing —
invariably so if it is figure or subject work — but for archi-
tectural and other ornamental work the “lighting” varies.
For canopies the usual method is tt) imagine thc^ light coming
from the top left-hand corner of the paper, consequently
everything must be shaded on the right side. Old glass
painters did not alwiays keep to this iiK'thod, hut som(;times
shitted their pcdnt of light to the right-hand top corner, in
which case the shadows fell to the left. Yet a tliird lyethod,
seen in many old windows, is to imagine a light in the centre
of the canop)', and hs the shadows would then naturally fall
from the centre, the right half of tlu' canopy would have the
right side of all its d6‘.tails in shadow, and the U'ft half its
shadows to the left. Whichever way the canopy is shaded,
the shafts and base must be treated in the same manner.

After the shading has been added, the canopy must be
outlined in scqiia, and ev(Ty item of detail and (mrichment
added. Many draughtsmen put in their outline before
shading, and are more certain of the position and depth of
their shadows. If the shading is put in first it should be
strengtheiK^d where nec.essary after outlining. The usual
practice is to draw only half the canopy from a line drawn
down its centre ; and this to men used to such work is all
that is necessary, hut the amateur who is not quite sure
of the balance of his work might be wise to draw the whole,
as frequently what looks tall and graceful when only half
is seen, turns out a very dumpy and ill-proportioned piece of
work when the other half is added, and its breadth conse-
quently doubled.

The next thing will be to •tint in, wi^i gamboge, Indian
yellow and a little burnt sienna, (weiy part wliich ha% to

56

A TREATISE ON TJfE ART GLASS PAINTING.

be stained with a goldcm stain when tlui pattern is paint(jd
on the actual glass. The stain should be varied, and only
applied to the enrichments /and little bits detail, not to
the actual members making up the structure of the canopy,
shaft, or base as the case may be. J3ackgr()unds of archi-
tectural work ar(‘ either ruby or blue, but in rare instances
gr(^en, purple, or yellow.

The bc'gniner will do W(^ll tr) keep to the first two colours
mentioned, and to use tliese colours sparingly, as they have
an ugly knack of being too ass(>rtive — in other words, a little
background goes a long way. To those wishing to draw this
kind of jWork, who hnw. had no ])revious exjH'rieiice, we may
say flo not try to (wolve it from your own imagination
or failure is incwitable.

Find out the m^arest church or museum containing a
genuine specimen or specimens of old glass, and ask per-
mission to copy it. Such permission, on giving an assur-
ance not to toucli the glass for measurements, will neviir Ixi
refuffc^d, and aftei* securing a IVav studies you will tluMi b('
in a fair way to try one on your own ixdialf. I'he cathedral
of your dioc(!S(' is sure to contain many windows from whicli
studies may be made, and ])ermission to co])y will invariably
be given by applying to the' Dean, who is caistodiaii of the
whole fabric during his time of office.

Unless you are perfectly sure that modern windows are
good and true to style, do not copy them, or your ideas of
date and style will become so confused that you will be
unable to differentiate betwtxui Norman and hlarly English,
Decorated and Perpendicular. The public libraries of large
cities sometimcis contain books which will help one in study-
ing glass painting. Many books on arclueological and anti-
quarian topics will be found to contain illustrations of old
windows, which thq librarian Inay give permission to copy.
In these days of cycling, distant places are brought near, and

57

CARTOONS AND THE* OUTLINE.

the iron-horse may help us in our art studies by taking us
with very little cost to places too far to tramp to on foot.
• latience, iiractice.and perseveraitee are pi'rtineiit points in
all art productions.

Michael Aiifrolo one day, in tlu’preseiua! of Ids emjiloyin-,
tdie Pope, took such triflnifr paitickis off t),e nose of a statue
he was at work u])on that the I’ope aski'd imjiatiently, “ Why
waste time on such trifles'.''’ To which the ereat sculptor
rejilied, “ Thiiv an; trifles, I admit, hut ti ifles make perfection,
and that, your lioliu(‘ss, is no trifle ! ”

The (h:TLTXE.

Haviii^r inad(' our desit^ni a.iid ca,rtoons, we will advance
our window a sh'p Ini’tlier. \V(‘ wish to cut oui’ ^dass for
painting upon, hut hetor(‘ w'(^ can do so we must hav(' what is
called a cutliiu*, which is a Avorkin^^ dj'awint^^ for tlu^ .i^lazi(U',
just as a cartoon is a working di'awiii^ for the painter.

A cutline is a drawin^^ or plan showm^^ th(‘ si/(‘, colour
and shap(i ol evtTv ])iece of ^lass of wlech a W’Undow is com-
posed, and is a dia.uram for tlu^ ^dazier first to (uit his ^dass
upon, and suhsecjiKuitly to ^daz(‘ (‘very individual pie(u‘. upon
after it has been ])aiiited and iired.

C'Utlines may made (‘ither on whit(‘ linm^^ ])api!r or
tra(dng cloth. Tracing cloth is a kind of glazed and trans-
parent lin('n, sold in rolls about twa'iity-fivc; yards long, and
thirty and thirty-six inclu's wid(‘, tlie fornuT costing Dd. and
the latter Js. pc‘T yard ; any lengtli cam h(‘. supplied from the
roll.

Lining paper may he pr(jcured at any ])a[)i'rhanger's, of
various qualities and widths. The narrowc'st is twenty-two
inches, the next thirty inches and thirty-six inches, and the
widest forty-cdglit inches.

The narrow'est is wide enoiigJi for ordinary work, as-
windows an^ mostly not more tlian twenty inches wide, very

58 A TREATISE ON Tlfs ART pF GLASS PAINTING.

few exceeding twenty-seven inches, for which thirty-inch
lining paper would he required.

To make a cutline whether on paper or on cloth the first *
thing is to lay the material on the work board, fasten it down
with drawing pins, set out the exact dimensions of the
window in hand, and see that the shape of the stonework
head of the window is accurately draw’n, otherwise a bad fit
will result when the window is fixed. A centi’al line should
be run from apex to sill of the window space.

Now upon this paper carefully place the half canopy,
and, after adjusting it to ih(^ centre line, place under it sheets
of black transler papei* (size about twenty-two inches by
eighteen iiiclu'.s), and having fastened all dowm take a skewer-
shaped stylus of hard w^ood and firmly tracer ov('r every lead
line showm in the drawing of the canopy, so that it may mark
through the bla(;k transfer ])aper and It^ave an indelible line
to the exact shape to which every piece of glass has to be cut.

When the half canopy has been gone over, do the same
with the shafting and half base, being careful not to miss a
line, nor to commence till the drawing is absolutely in its
correct place.

This being done, remove the drawing and transfer paper
and you will liav(i a fine firm network of lines — lines which
represent the shape every piece of glass has to be cut to, and
the exact place where every lead must hold it to form part of,
and to build up, the resultant window.

Take out the drawing pins and fold the paper, on itself,
■down the central line backw^ards, and, laying the black
transfer paper under it, go over all the lead lines with the
^ stylus. This will give you a replica on the other side of the
central ‘line when the paper is unfolded and laid out flat, so
that you now have the complete canopy, both shafts and the
whole base, leaving a blank space in the centre for the
figure of St. Paul.

CARTOONS AND THE OUTLINE.

59

The outline being again spread out and fastened to the
hoard, the cartoon of the Apostle must be laid accurately in
its place, and alUthe lead lines gone over with the stylus;
after which you will have a complete “ cutlinc' " (or glazier’s
drawing) for cutting and leading upon.

Tracing cloth is much dearer than lining paper, hut very
much less liable to tear with the constant moving about in
cutting the glass and other operations, and, IxMiig transparent,
the cutliiK' IS more quickly made by using ])en and ink or
a fin(} caniel-hair brush di])ped in Sti^phen’s ebony stain,
which should be diluted witb an equal (juantily of water.

Th('.r(' is our eutime, now for colouring it.

This is best don(‘ with ink ap[>lied w ith eithei* a p(‘n or a
small camel-hair ptnicil.

Hang tlu' small design in a handy ])la(.*(^ over your work
board, and commencing at the top place letters to represent
colours in every section shown on the cutline.

All the architectural parts will be marked A W aL'tique
whit(\ Th(} background of canopy, H ruby ; the back-
ground of figure (around th(' head), ]3 blue, and so, looking
closely at the small design, every piec;e must be “ coloured ”
on the cutliiie.

Th(i usual lettering is as follows : —

Autique White — A W Bluo = li Blue Purple B P'

Ruby = R Black ^ B'‘ Red Purple ~ R P'

Green — G“ Yellow — Yell Brown — B"

Grey = Orange -= ()“« Cold White = S' (Hteel)

These signs are pndaced at times with the signs for
warm = W'“, or (''' = cold. Thus CV (t" w^ould mean cold
gre^en, W" G' would he warm grey.

Or the lettering may be doubled as : (3' 13 = grey blue,
or Yell G" = yellow' green, or 13“ P' = brown red purple —
that is, purple of a chocolate liue. • ^

Sometimes ruby is marked 13 on J3 or K on W, wiiich

()0 A TllEATISE ON Tto AKT 43F GLASS PAINTING.

iiKians niby on blue or ruby on white — that is, ruby flashed
upon blue or upon whiUi ^^lass, a thing which will be explained
under the Invading “ (rJass ’1.

1^'roni this kind of window, being constructed of scores of
pieces of variously coloured glass, the style is what is called
“ mosaic ” stained glass, to distinguish it from “ (mamel
work,” which is composed [)rincipally of white glass “ enam-
elled ” or })ainted with various oxides mixed with a flux,
which ])eing fired caus('s the different colours to adlieix' to
the glass, and giv('s it sonu'what the a])])earance of ])ainting
in ordinary oil (colours.

s(ff.ting out cutlines of (|uarry and ^^eonu'tric lights
sevei'al tools, i^tc., will Ix' requinxl, among them a few
common diial laths 2 inches wide and a inch thick, and
in length of, say, H, (>, f and 3 h’et ; a M’-s(|iiaj'e with a 24-
iiich blade ; a pair of conijiasses a foot long when closed,
and with a leg for a }H‘nciI ; a .4-foot straight j’liki markiul
in inchc'S ; drawing pins, a box of mathematical instruments,
l)ku‘k (dialks or (’onte crayons, tracing and transfer paper,
etc., etc.

(hitlines lor gi'ometncal and foliated panels should first
})(' set out in jauicil, and afterwards iinish(5d in ink or black
chalk.

Some geometric.al patterns are very biuiutiful, otliers
faiK'iful ; some being very simple, while others are veritalile
puzzles to set out.

As a rule, the groundwork of all geometiical patterns is
the square and the cunde, and how(W('r intricate the design
may seem, it will Ik^ found on close study to I'esolve itself
, into these figures, from which spring curves, oblongs and other
geometric forms.

Study till you discoviT the ground lines of thci pattern,
then proceed to qdaii out these lines upon yoiir paper in
pencil, and from these fundamental lines proceed with

CARTOONS AND THi! OUTLINE. 61

parallel rule and compasses to work in your pattern, remem-
bering that glass cannot be cut into nooks and angles with
■ the same facility jis a piece of paj^er or card])oard.

Having marktid the side line of a ])auel, place one of your
deal laths on it and keep your T^sqnare c-onstantly working
upon it to get all your cross lines true and square, as
geometrical work is nothing if not accurate.

Fk;. 8.— PVom (4ormaij

CHAPTEE IV.

THE VARIOUS KINDS OF (JLASS-CUTTIN(J FOR WINDOWS.

Of the various kiuds of f^lass used by the glass artist, but
one only merits our attention, viz., antique glass, though in
modern workshops many other kinds will be found for pur-
poses of j)lain glazing, for (]uarry work, geometrical and
foliated windows, door and window screens.

We will look at soim^ of the varieties.

Flashed Sheet Glass, — This is thin in substance, flat and
gaudy in colour, and made only in ruby, amber, blue and
green. It is used in conservatories and (dieap houses, the
buyers of which are content to accept tawdriness for beauty.

Fluted Glass — always white — is a wavy or striated sheet
glass, and has the peculiar property of being impervious
to the vision whilst obscuring very littk^ more light than
would be the cas(i with clear window^ glass. When cut up
into squares or (juarries and leaded with a narrow line of
ruby or other colour, and an outer margin of white glass,
it has a very clean silvery effect, and if th(‘ “ flutes ” are cut
at different angles, so as to catch the light, has a very
brilliant appearance.

Muffled Glass is not obscure as the name would imply, but
of a bright translucent nature. Its surface is of a hilly-holey,
hammered nature, and objects behind it cannot be discerned.
When leaded into geometrical designs it is useful for hall
doors, bath-rooms, or to hide brick walls or ugly views with-

VABIOUS KITOS OF GLASS- CXimim FOB WINDOWS. 6B

•

out obscuring the light. It is made in many artistic tones
of pale green, salmon, grey and yellow.

Rolled Cathedj*al Glass is used principally for plain or
ornamental glazing in churches and public buildings. It is
about an eighth of an inch in thickness, not very level in
surface, obscured on one side and plain on the other. It is
made in scores of different tints from pui’e wliite to maroon,
from lemon tint to deep orange, from tlici tenderest green
white to dark olive. It is a strong glass, easy to cut, and
will in the paler tones take a })eautiful stain. Many cheap
windows of giisaille and painted (juarry work ar(^ Jiiade with
it, and it has the merit of being both inoxpensiv(3 aiid (^urable.
Its flatness of colouring and semi-opacity are against it from
the glass painter’s standpoint — it lacks brilliancy.

Sanded Sheet Glass is not now much used. It is made
in a variety of colours, but is usually ])()or in substance and
very flat in colour. It is very useful, howev(3r, for lines and
borders round window screens and door panels, also for
foliated work it makes very pretty pamds. The various tones
of green and brown, wdien cut into leaves and stems, and
placed on a pale, yellow background, have a really charming
effect if the pattern is drawn by an expert hand instead of
the glazier, whose skill, although great in cutting and leading,
is totally inadequate to the production of anything more than
stiff, spiky leaves set on cast-iron stems. The ordinary
glazier’s colouring is often very artistic and tasteful, but his
drawing, it has been said, “ would make a blind man
squint Every man to his trade !

Ambetty Sheet. — This we may almost t('rni the amateur
glass painter’s friend, as it comes next to antique glass for ^
its suitability for painting and staining purposes. It is
fairly thick in substance, not too transparent, having a
surface from absolutely rough «b just marred eiunigh to make
it a near rival to antique glass. It is brilliant and translucSnt.

64 A TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

Some of it is minutely speckled or “ seeded ” like antique
glass, and being of uniform thickness there is but little waste
in cutting, a r(miark which will unfortunately not apply to »
antique glass. It is made in a variety of pale tints of
yellow and green, and has' th(‘ merit of being only half the
price of “ antique'

Venetian Glass. — This is really “ anticjue " glass of a
peculiar a])pearanc.e, each shtu't being rolled into a series of
diagonal “ ])it.s,” which catch the falling light when the
glass is set on edge, and gives it a v(‘ry brilliant a])pearance.

It is very diriicult to cut ; so une(]ual in substance when
cut ih^at it IS difficult to lead, and very e\j)ensivo. Tbes(^
considei'ations should cause the amateur glazier to leave it
s(;verely alone.

Opalescent Glass. — As its name indicateN, the colours of
this glass are of an irid('scent natur(‘, the imUal itself having
an opal texture. It is nearly opaque, and a])])ears to be the
connecting link betw’een glass and marble or alabashu*. To
see its b(iauties, and it has many, ojk' must look on the
surface ratlnu- than through it, as one would do with a real
glass, ft is beautiful, but expensive. 'Fhis is very extensively
used in America, but its expense limits its use in Ihigland.

Norman Glass is a new' make of glass, identical in tiixture,
colour and appcsarance to the glass made between 1100 and
1250, and is juincipally intended for plain geometrical glazing
for churches or municipal buildings. It ceilainly has a very
fine appearance and is easy to cut. It is made in slabs about

inches by di- inches.

There art*, many other varieties of glass, but they neither
concern tlie glass painter nor glazier to any extent, and may
only be inentioned by name without remark. Muranese,
daisy, pyramidical, rippled, granulated, sandblast, ground,
matted and ribbed^ being amthig the number.

^Antique Glass, — Forty years ago the only available glass

VABIOUS KINDS OP G^^ASS-CUfTlNG FOR WINDOWS. 65

for purposes of glass painting was not only poor, but it was
^solutely bad. Not only was it garish in colour, but it was
' flat and uniform in tone, harsh apd unqualified in its bright-
ness, thin in texture, and fragilejn its make ; but on such
glass the painters up to the sixfies had to paint their work.
The consecjuence was tliat, however Ix^autiful their drawing
might be, and however well their work might he painted,
the effect produced could not possibly be good, because the
very foundation of their work was so terribly bad.

One “cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear,’’ neither
could the glass jiainter of the first two-thirds of the nineteenth
century revival “ make his bricks witl.out straw,” ntir pro-
duce a satisfactory window representing the glories of fifteenth
century work on nineteenth ci-ntury glass. Being cognisant
of this fact, certain clever glass makers set to work with the
assistance of expert analytical chemists to discover the in-
gredients, the ratio, and the com])onent parts of mediaival
glass.

After Jong study, and a great many t xperimi'iits and trials,
the secret was fathomed, and “ antique” glass— that is, glass
similar to that of the best period of glass painting— became
an established iact, so that at the present day two or three
English makers produce glass for painting upon which is
equal to anything ever made, either in this country or abroad.
The varying thickness, th(i beautiful gradations of tint, the
brilliant textun;, the fine colouring, the strength, the trans-
lucence, are all to be iound in tlie modern antique glass, while
the number of tints made; are so many as to be practically
illimitable. The tone, the texture, tlie seeding, tlie marking,
the want of flatness ()f the sheet, the selvedge cadges are all
there, and all accurately copied. Wo will run tlirough the
list of colours, making a few notes on each.

Rubyi — This comes first, as it is at th« same time tl^e
most beautiful and the most c'ostly glass, and exerts the

06 A TBEATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

most influence in the making or marring of a window. Like
oth(ir antique glass, it is mad(i in sheets about twenty-four
inch(^s long by sixteen inches wide. The sides are selvedged,
but the ends are cut. Kach she(‘t varies in thickness from
one-sixteejith of an inch to a quarter of an inch, v^hile in
tone no two sbcu^ts are alike, varying exc(^edingly in th(^
colour, which from a rose tint frequently runs through all
the gamut of red toiu'S to an almost o])a(jne black ruby.
What is t(‘rmed ruby glass is really of two thicknesses, the
“ body ” of the glass being of a pal(' tone, “ flashed " or
coated with a very thin lilm or veneer of ruby, which is so
fused to the unde]‘ glass as to b(‘ practically ])art and pai’cel
of it, just as a man’s skin covers, and is practically part of,
his flesh.

The glass upon which ruby is flaslud is not always white,
but is sometimes of a greenish tone, a yellow, or even pale
blue. The first gives a somewhat subdued toiu^ of ruby ; the
s('cond a rich, full tone, and the bliu' a qiialitic'd, subdued
purplish tone, very useful for drapery for hack figures or
where heavy colouring is desired.

.Plated on pure white glass the tone is of a scarlet or blood
colour, and is the glass most used for ordinary work, being
only half the prita; of ruby on blue or yellow .

Early glass wais remarkable for the thickness of th(‘ ruby
“flash”; indeed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries
it formed quite half the thicEiiess of tlu' glass, and was very
sti’eaky and blemished in appearance. (Tradually succeeding
centuries n^duced the thickness of the “ flash ” without
reducing the depth of coloui’, until, in the sixteenth century,
the “ flash” was not more than a tw'ontieth of an inch thick,
while at the present day it is fniqiiently not more than a
thirty-second part of an incli in depth.

Ruby of the genuine English make can always be relied on
for firing, but Continental ruby flakes, (;racks and chips, and

VARIOUS KINDS OF (xiiASS-Cuf TING FOR WINDOWS. 67

is not worth painting upon, not only b(3cause of its liability to
these defects, but because it has not the tone and variety of
English glass. •

Blue. ^This is made usually atj a “ pot metal ’—that is, it
is of the same colour all through ; and tiu' same remark applies
to nearly all other kinds of glass, whether gn^eii, yc^llow or
purple.

Tlie coloni-ingof the blue glass is freqiKmtly very beautiful,
and runs througli every tom^ of “ true bhu',’* from tlu' palest
grey to the d(‘epest indigo. W'luu-e a certain pi-oportion of
led is incorporatiul with it, it takes hiu's \'aryiug from the
palest lilac to the deepesl “ legal " or imi)erial hhil^ : and
where green is mixed with it whilst in a moltim state, runs
from the most delicate tunpioisi* to the (kvpi'st greim blue
mi'rging on blacJv.

It must be noted, hov\ever, that “ flashed " blue is made
and may he obtained for staining purpose's, so that most
beautiful green diajieri'd patterns ma>' Ix' stained on the liack
of the blue glass, giving an i'xceedingl\ rich a])])earanci‘ to
draperiiis.

When the sky is cut out ol “ staining bliu', landsca])es,
trees, cities, etc., can he painUxJ and stained on tlu' lower
parts with very beautiful (*dect without the use of enamels,
whicli twentieth century artists usi' only on V(U*y rare
occasions.

Green.— This is made in every shade from almost yellow
to dee]) blue green, and is always “ jiot " mtd.al.

It IS true that a flashed grei'ii is made, but it is siddom
used, as stained blue answi^rs (;v(*ry purposi' for the art of the
glass painter, except perhaps it be for an occasional jiiece of
heraldry, as, for instance, argent on vert, an (dfect which is
obtained by means of aciding ofl* the green flash and leaving
the white under glass.

Brown. — There are scores ot shades of brown, running

68 A TREATISE ON THE ART OP GLASS PAINTING.

from pale cinnamon to sepia, russet to the verge of purple,
pinkish tone to madder, and many more. Kept on the warm
side, it is a very valuable aid to a window, linking or
separating the primary apd sharper colours according to
the shade employed.

Yellow. —For draperies, curtains and architectural en-
richments this is another valuable glass. It is made in a
variety of colours, according to the purpose for which it is
to be employed — palest lemon to deepest citron, or light gold
to orange.

For dra])(irv tints of silken texture glass may be selected
which, when charg(;d with black diapc^r, either sparsely
powdered on or more generally covered in the', manner of
brocade, has a remarkably handsome and rich effect.

For curtains, and draperies for back figures, a deep tone
is made, which is a retiring colour, and eminently suitable for
the purpose.

White. — The term “white” is a generic one, embracing
almost all pak^ tones until they become so deep as to call for
a separate denomination. Thus, to the stained glass artist
pale tints of grey, pink, yellow and green are all known as
“white,” but are termed Y W = yellow white, (I W = green
white, etc.

White of some tint was probably the first glass, made
of sand, soda and seaweed, if we may trust the old story of the
shipwrecked Phcenician merchants who are said to have first
discovered it (like most other discoveries) in an accidental
manner, though other traditions give the honour to the
Chinese some 2,800 years before Christ. Egyptologists,
again, tell us that the Egyptians made beads and jewels of
coloured glass 4,000 years before the Christian era.

White glass was greatly in vogue in the twelfth century,
and a document ts in existence, which is really an edict of
the Cistercian Order, restricting the glazing of the windows

VABIOUS KINDS OP GLASS-CUTTING FOR WINDOWS. 69

in their religious houses to white glass, that being the dis-
tinctive colour of the Order.

From the tw,elfth to the end of the fourteenth century
there was a great diderence in the glass made in the north
of Fngland and that ol the south. That in the north was
fairly regular in substance and very ])ale, almost pure white ;
whde that made in the south and w<'st was v(*ry irregular in
thickness and of a green-hlue tom‘, varying in dejith accord-
ing as the glass was thin or thick.

Modern painters usually chos(‘ for their “white *' a warm
greenish tone, which may be had of varying depth— th(‘ i>ale
for flesh, and tlu^ darker for drapery, etc. ^

It may safely he said if a modern window is not beautiful
it IS no fault of the glassmaker, nor of the cutter and glazier,
but the blaiiK' must lie with the painter or draughtsman who
has charge of the “colouring”. In large lirms the master-
mind is that of the draughtsman who makes the siiiall
coloured design ; in private studios th(‘ artist is often his own
draughtsman and painter combined, and in some cases he
selects his own glass and cuts it with his own hands, in
which case little gems of windows often result.

(riven the splendid glass of the present day, there is no
excuse for the mediocre and even bad work which so fre-
quently disfigures our churches.

From the foregoing remarks the art worker should have
gained an exact conception of the meaning of the thre(‘ terras,
“pot metal,” “flashed,” and “white,” and as these words
will re-occur it will be as w^ell to kec]) them in mind.

CrTTiNo Glass for Windows.

Upon the skilful selection of ‘the many pii^ces of glass
which go to make up a staiiuTd glass wiyidow the result of
its final appearance depends.

70

A TREATISE ON TifE AET pp (!LASS PAINTING.

Let UK ])eej) into a modern cuttini^-room. Under the
windows, so as to obtain a^^)od lifj[ht without the direct rays
of the sun shininc]^ in, we see benclujs of ^ihoiit six fe(d in
len^dJi, three, h'ot hit^di and two feet six inches wide — just
])lain, tliie.k deal upon fouf- stroiifij Ie"s. On tlie w^all are
])e^^s to liold euttin^r-laths of various len^dhs, compasses,
T-square, etc. Uound the walls of tlie room are racks for
holdin^^ the various sheets of white and coloured ^dass. Tlu^y
an' like wnu' bins — a series of rc'ticulated space's from floor to
ceilin^q about two feot deep, one foot six indues hi^di, and one
foot wide, (‘acb ticketed with a numbei*.

Novi, if we look to one of the winders \vv shall see what
is called a “])att(‘rn card” susjiended before it^ — that is' a
leaded paiu'l of ^dass c.onsistinj^ of a number of oblonjj^

piece's eif ^lass, each about twei medies by e)ne inedi — having a
number setratcbeal e)r labe'.llcid upeiii it. These are fragments
or samplers of the olass containe’d in the varieuis racks areiund
the room, so that tlie^ cutter who reepnrt's a certain tint has
only to leiok ein his jiatterii card and note the nnmhei* of
tlu' tint reejuired, when he can walk to the ceirresponding
number ein the rae'ks and select a sheet freim which to cut
the particular piece eif drapery e)r whatever he may have in
band.

U})on tlu' ^dazing board will be found th(' following tools :
a liammer, a rule, a broad-nosed pair of plit'rs, a narrow-
nosed pair of ])li(U's, a glazier’s diamond, two- or threcvwhei)!
diamonds, a small T-sejuare, a large and small set-square,
two or three cutting laths from one foot to three feet long, a
pounce bag, a duster, a hand-brush, nails, and soldering iron.

The pliers are for grozing or lireaking tlie glass at the
diamond cut, the broad for straight cuts, and the narrow
for awkward corners, curves, indentations, etc. The diamond
is the chief cutting instrument, but the w^heel cutters are very
useful for rough or very uneven glass. The laths should he

VARIOUS KINDS OF GLASS-CUffTING FOR WINDOWS. 7J

of hard wood — oak, pear or lance wood — a bare (jiiartei’ inch
thick, and one and a half inches wide.

A pounce hatj may be made* of sonj(‘ loose material, such
as part of an old stockin^^ filled with pcu'ft'ctly dry sifted
whiting. Chit a circular piece of* the material six inches in
diamc'ter, place on it a heap of whiting and tie it uj) as a
housewife do(‘s a pudding, so as to form a ball as larg(‘, as a
h'angeriiie orange, leaving th(‘ loose cnids to lorni a handle.
hhie ])ounce is for use when the glass is too dark to see the
cuthne through. The uses of th(‘ other articles minilioned
are self-evidtnit.

We coiiiiiKUice our window bv cutting the arclntc'ctural
portions first, n'serving thi‘ figure' till tin' last. h\‘ike tlu’.
canopy first and select a sheet of warm gn'en-wlnti^ glass of
pronounced tone, and laying a pii^ce upon tlu' cutliiH^ suitable
in si/e to cut the laigest pieci' of the canopy, cut e.an'fully
over it witb the diamond, a task which reijuires some
skill.

We will jirc'suiiK' that before cutting up antKjiu' glass you
have had plenty of prac.ticc at cutting odd pii'ces of window
glass, or disap])ointmiuit, i‘X])ense and trouhk' will be the
rt'-sult. No two diamonds cut alike', and by jiraedice only
can the conx'ct metbod be olitained.

Take a pii'ce of common window^ glass, and gi t the cutting
angle of your diamond by repeated trials ol slopi; ol the
handle, till you find the bi^st angle for emitting. Having
found that, practise at that angle, and at that angk*. only,
remembering that whatever position you ])lace yiuir hand,
arm and body in the angle of thi; handle oi the diamond must
not be altered. ITaclise straight cuts first, and remember to
keep the angle of the diamond thi^ same right through the*
stroke, however long tlie stroke may be.

Having beconu' ])roficient ill straight cuts, jii’actise curves,
angles, circles and odd sJiajies, or, as it is (‘ailed, freeltand

72

A TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

cutting. When you can manage these with certainty you
may commence with antique glass, but not before.

To resume our canopy. • Lay the piece of glass on the
cutline over the particular section to be cut, and carefully
go over tbe })lack line with the diamond, just as you would
in using a child s drawing slate, but instead of cutting
accurately ovcu’ tbe centri' of tbe line cut a fraction — a
twentieth part ol an iucb - inside the line, so as to allow' for
the thickness ol tbe heart of the- lead in glazing. Having
cut tbe glass, tap gently on tlu* back of tbe cut with the
block of tbe (bainond, wluui tlu' cut will run,’’ and this
must be follow(‘d till the glass has beiui sej)arated all round.
The pieces not re(iuired must then be broloMi off. Wluu’e

Fk;. 9.

the glass is rugged, or has not quite broken to the cut, the
pliers must b(^ used to “ groze ” off* the odd pierces. Hold the
glass in tbe left band, and taking the piece to be removed in
the jaws of the pliers, bend tbe right band down, breaking
away the edge of the glass, which must not be nipped by
the pliers. Hrozing nitjans opening the jaw's of tbe pliers
sufficient!}^ w'ide to take the (‘dge off’ tb(‘ glass, then, main-
taining the w'idtb of the opening, to break off the required
piece of glass by a series of adroit moviuueiits of the right
wrist. Do not try to break it off all at fince, but little by
*little. Curves must be approached by “ sa])ping ’*. Suppose
a half circle of glass has to bci removed, you must first cut
the semicircle as at A, and afterw'ards put in segmental cuts
as Jjhown in Fig. 9. These must be tapped with the

VARIOUS KINDS OF OLASS-CUTPTING FOR WINDOWS. 73

diamond block and afterwards removed, piece by piece, with
the pliers.

Suppose we have to cut a piece to the shape of B, we
lay the piece of <]flass over th(' catliiie and cut the })atterii
required, B, next we cut “easing” lines at KEEE, and
others running to the edge of the glass, which giv(‘-s us easy
lines of breakage. We therc'fore break off tlu^ pieca^s, (JCC,
and by treating the remaining (‘iirved piectJs, DDl^l), as in
the semicircle. A, W(‘ s('cnr(' onr shaped pi(*ce intact.

Thus in cutting pieces of siny sha])(Ml scrtion a little
thought will eiiahle the cutt^‘r to ov(T(a)me all ditticulti(‘s, by
approaching tlu' curves with intelligence^, so that very soon,

Fkj. 10.

with the aid of diamond and ])hers, he will be enabled to cut
th<‘. most difficult pieces with very littk^ breakage.

Piece by piece, litth‘ and big, straight and curved, the
whole of the architi^ctural work must tlius lx* cut and laid
aside in a shallow w’ocHlen tray, ready for the painter.

In cutting figure work it is usual to cut all tb(‘ ” white ”
glass first, and to commence with the “flesh" — the head,
hands, feet, etc. After the flesh comes the wdiite drajiery,
Th(! flesh sliould be cut from a pale greenish-white tinted
glass, free from all blemish of spots, “ sijcds " or scratches, as
the light striking on these W'Ould»give them the appearance of
scars and b(‘ unsightly: whereas in drapery they would ifht

74

A TREATISE OM TfeE ART\ OF GLASS PAINTING.

be noticed— ijuliHMl, they would lx* iiccjessary to give brilliaiice
to the glass, as they ai rest th(‘ rays of light, and by refraction
i^ive a s])arklii)g appearance to the window^

l)ra})eries may vary very much in tint, and should always
!)(' deeper than the “ flesh

As a I'ule, if th(‘ surrounding colour, or that m juxta])ositioii
with the white dra})ery, is warm — that is, of i-(ul purpl(\ yellow,
ruhy, or warm gre(‘n then the whit(‘ ('m])loy{'d may he of a
somewhat cold green m tint : but if the surrounding colours
an* of hint' or hhui grei'ii oi' blue purple, it should h(' on the
warm sidi'.

Th 'IH', IS. hov\e\('r, no std rule for this, diU'erent artists
having wid('ly op]K)S('d vk^ws upon tin* mattt'r, some (the
writer among tlnmi) nevtu* using a cold white' ('X(;ept wlnu’e'
circumstances im]HTativelY demand it.

The white' of the' ligiire' being cut, the euiloureal dra])e'ry is
next taken m hand.

In the ruhy imele-r dre^ss great care must be' e'xei’ciseel in
ge'tting the' ])ale fiart oi the sluict of glass to e^imei whe'iv the
light would naturally fall u})eui thei figure. Tei do this the
various shea-ts of rub\ must he leioked over, and ])art of a
sheet sele-'cte'd whie*h is varied in eM)le)ur tei suit the exae-t light
and sliade reepiire'el. 44iis jiroc-ess of se'lectiein entails cutting
out the' choice' parts eif sheets, but if we are te) study the
ultimate' be^auty e)f the windeiw, we must neit grudge a little
extra e'Xjie'iise' m ge'tting just the' right pie'ce for the' right
place, e'ven if il has to be cut fremi the middle eif a she'et.
We must save tlie larger of our odd ])ic(X'.s and work them in
for liackgrounels, if suitable leir thatpuriiose ; if not, they must
go into the cullet-bo\, ;is the re'ce^ptacle for waste glass is
called.

Blues, gree'iis, purjik's, etc., tor dra})erie.'.s must be selected
with the same e*are, hut as'the'.re* is not se) much variety in
the individual sheets as in the' iniby, the waste is not so gre'at.

VARIOUS KINOS OK <nj,\SS“CTT'rt’lN(T KOR WINDOW^. 75

When the glass is so det'p in (colour that the eye cannot
penetrate to the cutline below, I'econrse must he had to the
* pounce hag.

Hold up the sheet of glass to Ix^ cut to the light, and
having noted tlie most suitahl\ shadtxl ])a]‘t, Im'atlu^ upon it,
at the same time dahhiiig its surface all ovtu- witli the pounce ;
this will giv(' it a \\hit(‘ coating: then jilacc it as near as
possilile, Kwln the (Uitline, at the part which has to Ix^ cut.

^ext, with a boiu' or ivory “ marker." trac'c' over tlie
outline of the glass to be c.iit with a tii in ])r(‘ssur(!, and on
removing tlu' slieet of glass from Ixuieath tlu' j)ap(*r you will
find a black line r(‘a,d\ for you to cut to, caused iiy the
whiting being lamioved from tlu‘ glass hy th(' jirc'ssure of
the stylus, which has madi‘ it to adhere* to tlu' ])a])ej‘.

Another wa\ to li'ansler tin* cuthne to tlie glass when it
is too dark to se<' tlnough is to ])lace a ])it'c(' of rt'd transfer
paper lietween the cutline and the glass, wlu'ii by tracing
over th(' outliiu' with a, stylus oi* ma.rk(‘r a clear i‘(‘d line will
be the result.

Probably a whiU' transftu* pajuu* might he us(*d for dark
glass by ])re!'ariiig suitab1(‘ pa])er with fiiu'ly i)owdered whit-
ing and popps Oil, with a suspicion of pork lard mixcul with it.

As a g( iieral rule, kec]) to the warm side* m colouring. Jiy
warm s.de it must not be supposed tli(‘ tiTin means (unploy
all the ruby, yellow and red-purph‘ glass you can, because
that would simply result in a hot, glaring, vulgar window.

By warm we mt’an if in cutting you hava* to S(‘l(‘ct, say,
a green for foliage on a trei*, let that green incline to yellow
rather than blue ; let the whites of drajKUW incliiu^ to sunny
tints rather than a cold, icy one, and so through all the
various colours of the window. hiven 1)1 ue, although a
naturally cold colour, may by having a susjiicion of green or
purple in it be said to be to a certain extent warm ; and
thus if we are careful to keep our colours warm, without

76 ' A TBEATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

^mployiiip; any really hot or vivid colour, we shall impart a
peculiar glow to our work which no amount of painting and
staining can achieve.

Whilst on the subject of cutting, we will say a little upon
square, quarry and geoiuetiical glazing which is done with the
aid of mechanical jueans, foliated and other panels being in the
main cut by fretdiand cutting, just as is the figui'o work.

Fic. 11. — Cutting Gauge.

We will take the V(‘ry sinqile cutting of squares first.
^5uppose we wish to make a “leaded" light — as all glass
panels are call(;d — of squares, W(‘ should first make a cut-
line, and from it we should see that oui* s((uares are to be
three and a half inches (^ach way. hirst take a flat piece
of wood, six or si'ven inches long, and in its edge cut out a
little strip three and a half (plus oiui-sixteenth) inches long.

The sixteenth of an inch is equal to the space between the
tjentre of the diamond and the edge of the cutting-lath — that
is, when we use our “cutting gauge,” as the stick is called,
the diamond will (uit off a strip of glass precisely one-
sixteenth of an inch less than the length of the gauge.

Lay a she(‘t o/ glass upcfti the board, and placing a lath
tt^on it, cut off a strip about half an inch wide so as to make

VARIOUS KINDS OP GL.^SS-CUTf ING FOR WINDOW^. 77

the edge of the glass even. Then laying your lath three or
four inches from the edge of the glass, proceed to adjust it by
* placing the shoulder of the gauge against tlie edge of the
glass and the end against the lath. , When you have adjusted
the lath to an equi-distance from tlie edge of the glass all the
way down, cut it and break off the strij), which is called a
“range”. Continue this process .until yon have your sheet
cut up into ranges, then take them one by one, and with the
aid of a small s(it-s(|uare and the gauge (uit off’ your squares.
This is a simple, hut very accurate', method.

To cut quarries, first cut your glass into “ l aiiges ” as for
the squares, then proceed to “ set a quany hoard ”. Take a
piece of board an inch thick, from twenty-four to thirty inches

Fm. 13. — Quarry Board,

long, and, say, ten inches broad, along th(' culge of which nail
a lath an inch wide, an eighth of an inch thick and of the
length of the board— that is, your quarry hoard.

Now, take a range of glass and lay it diagonally on your

outline full length — and accurately cut off’ one end to the

exact angle of a quarry. Having that, lay the range of glass
on the board and nail a short piece of lath to tho angle of
the quarry ; then with the aid ol the gauge mark off a
single quarry on the range and place it again on the quarry ^
board, as shown in Fig. 18. Now, by driving in tall nails
where required, you have rests against which to place a thin
cutting-lath, and yon can the*n cut off’ iuie or two trial
quarries, and placing them together turn them about V>

78 ‘A TJIEATISK ON THE ART OF (rLASS PAINTING.

ascertain if they are exactly the same size. If not, yon must
alter the position of the tall nails until they are exact to
a hair-breadth, othcu wise youi’ leading will he thrown out *
and the lead lines will ncjt run true.

By the use of a (juari’y hoai'd any straight-sided shape of
glass may Ix^ cut, and it is by its aid that geometrical patterns
are cut so a(;curat('ly.

I7g. 14 shows a lumiher of geometrical slia])es which may
be cut by alhTiiig ih(‘ ])osltions of the nails on the (piarry
board, but slia})es which are a ('ombination of straight lines
and curv(‘s ai'e usually ciil with tlu‘ aid of thin cardboard
])att(iri^is. Such patterns as shown in Fig. lo ari' some of
th(‘. kigion used in gi'omct ri(5al glazing. Take a lead peiic.il
and carefully draw tlie shapi* of pattiTii re(juired upon a thin
piece of cardboard, and laying it on a pii'ce of smooth glass
cut out the pattern with a sharp jienknife. 4\) cut the glass
lay till' pattern u])on it, and brc^athing upon it dab it over
with th(‘ ])ounc(‘ bag. liaise th<‘ pattern, and you have the
reipiired sliapt* of clear glass outlined in whiting. Some cut
tlie (cardboard a sixteenth of an iindi less than the size of the
glass required. Tlien by laying the pattern on tlu' glass and
going cartd'ully round it wdth the diamond tlu' exact size and
shajie of glass d('sir(xl is obtained.

Wlusn a great number of jiiecesof glass of tlu^ same shape
are requinxl, it will be as widl to cut the ])atterns from the
thin ziiu', which may riNidily b(‘ (uil with an old pair of
scissors.

Yet other forms of glass may be cut with the aid of the
quarry board and “ circle board The circle' board is a
useful but exp('nsive mechanical contrivance for cutting
curved work. It consists of a circular, leather-covered
table, from twelve to (‘ighteen inches in diameter, freely
revolving upon a, central piv'ot fixed underneath ; over the
table a brass ai m extends, ending in an angle piece turned

80 A TEEATISE ON T^E ART OP GLASS PAINTING.

downward at the extremity, on which a cutting diamond is-
fixed. The arm is so arranged with screws and slides that
by placing the glass on the table and rotating the latter,
circles may be cut from it of any radius from an inch to
seven or eight inches. A- glance at the shapes in Fig. Ifi
will show how this may be easily accomplished.

In cutting, the intelligent glazier calls to his aid many
little mechanical aids, and many little ideas will pres('nt
themselves to a man of intelligence, which, although trivial
in themselves, greatly add both to the accuracy and rajndity
of the cutting, and give more accurate and neater glazimr
results.

Fi( 4. 17. — Fifteenth Century Hanging Sleeve.

CUAVTKU V.

THE OOLODKS AND BRUSHES USED IN GLASS PAINTING.

The colours used in juosaic ^lass painting urc very few^
being jmucijjally shading tints - a little (Uiaint'l eoTour and
nJver-stain ; Imt upon their (juality and liring powers the
permanence ol a modern window ('iitirely depends.

We do not propose entering into tin* composition and
inannfacture of the colours, as thi'.y may he bought ready to
hand, and ar(i not made hy evcm th(^ largest firms of glass
painters. Jt is quite unnecessary to go into the actual
composition of the colours, as our coiujern is more as to what
they will do than as to what they are made Irom. We may
note that thej^ are made of certain nujtallic oxides ground
with a certain projioition of borax flux, whicdi is literally a
kind of soft glass, possessing the ])roperty of causing the
metallic oxide to adhere and incorporate itself with the
glass upon which it is painted. Without flux the colour
would not adhere' to the glass at all after firing, but must
be incorjiorated with the oxide as a niedium betwecui the
metal and the glass.

When the correct amount of flux has been ground with
the colour, tlu' latter appears smooth and glossy wh(;n fired,#
but if insufficient has been used the colour comes from the
kiln harsh and dull, and not being thoroughly incorporated
with the glass can be scratched off with a knife or
piece of glass. Such colour will inevitably jiei^l and chip in

fi

8‘2 k TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

the course of a few years, leaving the window in a deplorable
state. Buy your colour of a reliable maker, and you will have
very little difficulty with it.

It used to be necessary to have a small box or bottle
handy containing borax flux, a little of which was ground
with the colour upon the palette, when it was found that
the colour did not “ go down " (or become glossy) in the
firing ; but such is now seldom recpiisiie unless some very
poor colour indeed is used.

The chief colour used by the glass ])amter is known as
tracing brown, and is more largely used than any colour
in the Hst. It is used for outlining the various patterns
upon the glass before it comes to the jiainting or , shading
stage. It IS of a rich red brown, and has a glaring ap-
pearanc(^ if used ]>ure ; it is therefore usually mixed with
ouedourtli of tracing black, which gives it a vaudyke brown
tone.

If the pure tracing brown is used in outlining it will be
seen, by reason of its vividness, upon the surface of the glass,
and in looking at a stained glass window we want to look
through not ugHm the glass, as we sliould if it were an oil
painting. Some knowing the glaring quality of the brown
tracing colour go to the other extreme and use only black
tracing colour, but this is going to the opposite error ; and
when we know that by reason of its softer nature black is
apt to ‘‘tire away ” and become transparent, thereby giving
a poor outline, we are constrained to come, to the common-
sense view that a mixture of brown and lilack produce a
happy medium— solid, dull and permanent.

Solidity of outline is a desideratum, for if the outline is
transparent and washy, the object depicted on the glass will
not be clearly defined, but will present a blurred, undefined
iind unsatisfactory appearance.

The writer personally uses a uniform mixture of one

COLOUBS AND BRDS:^ES USEiTl IN GLASS PAINTING. StS

part black to two parts browu, but the amateur may vary
the proportions to suit his individual taste.

Umber is a warm brown, somewhat fugitive, and not
adapted to solid lines. It is used for painting in oil, and to
imitate the shade ol ancient colour in shading. By saying
“ painting in oil ” it must always be understood that the oil
used by glass painters is “ tar-oil,” the medium for painting
ill alter the preliminary operations of outlining, matting, etc.,
liave 1)0(311 finished.

Uiiilx^i loses luuoh of its depth in firing, so that one
nmst paint th(3 work vt'ry iniKdi dt'opor tlian it is wished to
appear altei' firini^. To prev('nt this “ firint^ away,*’ a little
hrown and black tracing colour may be added to it, but they
must 1)0 W(3ll ground first, and aft(u-wards again w(dl ground
wh(ui the colours are mixed.

Copper Black is aii intense black of a soft nature, and is
apt to fir(' away or become very trans])arent in tlu 3 kiln.

If tracing brown is found to be a little harsh and rough
oil the surface when fired, a little e.opper black will gniatly
improve it, and may be added instead of the tracing black.

Shading Brown and Shading Black are used for the pur-
poses denoted by their name, and are really the same as
tracing brown and black, but of a slightly softer nature,
having more flux used in theii' composition.

In many firms both outlining and shading are done
entirely with tlie tracing colours.

China or Flesh Red is principally fised as a “hacking”
or toning tint for flesh painting. For this purpose — if used
at all — it must be applied very s])aringly or the figures will
look sunburnt — like a jolly farmer — an appearance not desir-*
able in a saint, especially if of the female sex.

This pigment was not known to glass painters before about
1510-20, consequently it is never seen m fifteenth century
work at all, and for this reason is seldom used by modern

84 A TREATISE ON THfi ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

glass painters, who work in the style of the late fifteenth
century or early sixteenth century era. Its use, according to
some critics, was one of the first causes of decline in the art
— it was a help to obtainin/ the picture or canvas style into
which glass painting afterwards degenerated.

If therefore flesh red is used for toning flesli, it should be
the merest film — just enough to “waken the dead” in the
greenish corpse-like tone of the glass used for modern flesh.
The flesh rt;d is usually applied to the hack of the glass.

Stain. — fl’he golden glory of a window is one of the
simplest and yet one of the most difliciilt to use. It is
easy to supply to the glass, but requires great experi(Uice to
know how thin or how heavily to apply to individual pieces
of glass.

To make this more clear, let us take four strips of any
kind of palc! glass, and with tlui stain let us coat (jach of the
four pieces, keeping the same strength of stain on each, and
send them to the kiln to be fired.

When we receive them again we find one piece has a
beautiful golden stain, the next a pale lemon, the third a deep,
opaque film, and th(^ last a deep orange stain.

From this we learn that by altering the strength of the
stain on the first piece as we apply it, w^e (^aii obtain any tint
of stain we r(‘quire, either pale or rich. The second piece, if
we want rich stain, we must coat much more heavily. This
glass will probably be found of a flesh tone, which is a hard
glass, and wants more stain ajiplied than tlui first piece,
which was of a normal greenish -yellow tone, the painter’s
ideal tint for staining.

The third piece of glass was of a deep greenish-blue white,
and is unsuitable for staining ; the component parts of the
glass are antagonistic to the stain, and we therefore reject that
glass altogether, or else grea'cly reduce the strength of our
stain by adding well-ground yellow lake.

COLOURS XnI) brushes usm^ IN GLASS PAINTftJG. 85

The fourth proves itself to be good staining glass — too
good, in fact as it takes the stain too kindly. We therefore
either apply the stain very luiich more thinned out with
turpentine, or, what is better, ^dd an etpial hulk of ground
yellow lake to the stain, which will then conw from the kiln
a beautiful golden tint instead of tlu' lierA orange*.

As so much has Ix'en said and \vritt(‘n upon it from its
invcintKHi at the beginning of tlu* fourteenth eeuMiry, our
read(us may like to niak<' some for themselvc^s. If st), ht‘re
IS the reci])e— OIK* which thirty years' ])iactic(* has found to
be equal to or better than any other —

Obtain one ounce of virgin sdv('i*, in aN small ^iiecx^s as
possibk* lor (juickiK^ss of melting, and plact* in a gallipot or
glass jar. arm the jar tlKiroughly, and in it, upon the
silver, pour an ounce* of nitric a(‘id, to which add two ounci*s
of boiling wat(‘r.

Place it in the open air on a sill, or on tin* stovi* liob, as it
gives forth a yellow vapoiii’ of a ])ung(‘nt and unpleasant kind.

If in a glass pic^kle jar, you w'ill st‘e the* acid furiously
attacking the silver, melting or decxuiijiosing it, and boiling
and bubbling round it in a tewble rage.

ily-and-by(* the bubbling anger c,(uis(‘s aiul naught ap-
parently remains in tlu* jar but a bt^auliful, (dear, (unerald
(ioloured liquid. Hut our silver is tlune, iKivei-tluiless, held
in solution. Fill the jar nearly full of hot wat(‘r, and pour
in common table-salt till it will hold no mon*. Next pour
the whole into a larger vessel and fiH with cold water, stir
well and alk^w to settle. When settled, a thiedv white* pulp
will remain at the bottom — this is the nitrate of silver.
Carefully pour off the water, so as not to lose a particle of
the sediment, and fill the vessel again with w^aten* and stir
it well up. Kepeat this a dozen times during the day to
eliminate the salt and acid. * In the meantiim* grind — in
water — three ounces of yellow lake ; grind it to an impalpable

A TREATISE ON THE ART OF OLA9S PAINTING.

pulp — the finer th(^ grinding the more successful the stain
will be. Next day add the silver nitrate — which should have
been allowed to drain as dry as possible — and grind them
well and intiiriately togethe/ When ground spread out on
a glass slab and dry befoii' a fire or in the sun. The stain is
then ready f{)r use.

Being in the form of a ytillow })owder, it is best k(^pt in
a wide-necked bottk'.

For enamel painting on white glass a different set of
colours is reijuired. Fnamel painting consists of firing
several colours on one section of glass, quite different to
mosaic ^tained glass, in which the glass employed is s(;lf-
coloured or “pot metal".

Now and again tlu^ modern glass paintt‘r is (tailed upon
to use a little enaimd for some little jewel, or enrichment of
a border, a ring, or a crown. - He has. therefore, by him tiny
phials of blue, pink and, peiba])s, green, though the latter
can be made by applying the lilue enairi(‘l to the front of the
glass and staining the back ; only he is not in this case so
certain of tlui effect after firing as if he used the enamel
green.

The mediums used in glass jiainting are sugar and gum
for water-colour painting, and turpentine and tar-oil for oil
painting.

If it is desired to simply outline a pattern on glass — such
as in quarry work, and to stain the bac.k — it is usual to mix
sugar with the tracingicolour so as to make it work smoothly,
but if the outlining has to he painted over in water (jolour
then the medium used is gum.

“Oil” colour is ordinary tracing or shading colour ground
in turpentine and mixed with tar-oil to make it flow properly.

“ Fat oil ” is used as a medium for ordinary painting or
shading colour, aii^ for the stain.

Fat oil ” is simply turpentine placed in an open vessel

COLOURS XnI) brushes usm^ IN GLASS PAINTftJG. 85

The fourth proves itself to be good staining glass — too
good, in fact as it takes the stain too kindly. We therefore
either apply the stain very luiich more thinned out with
turpentine, or, what is better, ^dd an etpial hulk of ground
yellow lake to the stain, which will then conw from the kiln
a beautiful golden tint instead of tlu' lierA orange*.

As so much has Ix'en said and \vritt(‘n upon it from its
invcintKHi at the beginning of tlu* fourteenth eeuMiry, our
read(us may like to niak<' some for themselvc^s. If st), ht‘re
IS the reci])e— OIK* which thirty years' ])iactic(* has found to
be equal to or better than any other —

Obtain one ounce of virgin sdv('i*, in aN small ^iiecx^s as
possibk* lor (juickiK^ss of melting, and plact* in a gallipot or
glass jar. arm the jar tlKiroughly, and in it, upon the
silver, pour an ounce* of nitric a(‘id, to which add two ounci*s
of boiling wat(‘r.

Place it in the open air on a sill, or on tin* stovi* liob, as it
gives forth a yellow vapoiii’ of a ])ung(‘nt and unpleasant kind.

If in a glass pic^kle jar, you w'ill st‘e the* acid furiously
attacking the silver, melting or decxuiijiosing it, and boiling
and bubbling round it in a tewble rage.

ily-and-by(* the bubbling anger c,(uis(‘s aiul naught ap-
parently remains in tlu* jar but a bt^auliful, (dear, (unerald
(ioloured liquid. Hut our silver is tlune, iKivei-tluiless, held
in solution. Fill the jar nearly full of hot wat(‘r, and pour
in common table-salt till it will hold no mon*. Next pour
the whole into a larger vessel and fiH with cold water, stir
well and alk^w to settle. When settled, a thiedv white* pulp
will remain at the bottom — this is the nitrate of silver.
Carefully pour off the water, so as not to lose a particle of
the sediment, and fill the vessel again with w^aten* and stir
it well up. Kepeat this a dozen times during the day to
eliminate the salt and acid. * In the meantiim* grind — in
water — three ounces of yellow lake ; grind it to an impalpable

COLOURS XnI) brushes usm^ IN GLASS PAINTftJG. 85

The fourth proves itself to be good staining glass — too
good, in fact as it takes the stain too kindly. We therefore
either apply the stain very luiich more thinned out with
turpentine, or, what is better, ^dd an etpial hulk of ground
yellow lake to the stain, which will then conw from the kiln
a beautiful golden tint instead of tlu' lierA orange*.

As so much has Ix'en said and \vritt(‘n upon it from its
invcintKHi at the beginning of tlu* fourteenth eeuMiry, our
read(us may like to niak<' some for themselvc^s. If st), ht‘re
IS the reci])e— OIK* which thirty years' ])iactic(* has found to
be equal to or better than any other —

Obtain one ounce of virgin sdv('i*, in aN small ^iiecx^s as
possibk* lor (juickiK^ss of melting, and plact* in a gallipot or
glass jar. arm the jar tlKiroughly, and in it, upon the
silver, pour an ounce* of nitric a(‘id, to which add two ounci*s
of boiling wat(‘r.

Place it in the open air on a sill, or on tin* stovi* liob, as it
gives forth a yellow vapoiii’ of a ])ung(‘nt and unpleasant kind.

If in a glass pic^kle jar, you w'ill st‘e the* acid furiously
attacking the silver, melting or decxuiijiosing it, and boiling
and bubbling round it in a tewble rage.

ily-and-by(* the bubbling anger c,(uis(‘s aiul naught ap-
parently remains in tlu* jar but a bt^auliful, (dear, (unerald
(ioloured liquid. Hut our silver is tlune, iKivei-tluiless, held
in solution. Fill the jar nearly full of hot wat(‘r, and pour
in common table-salt till it will hold no mon*. Next pour
the whole into a larger vessel and fiH with cold water, stir
well and alk^w to settle. When settled, a thiedv white* pulp
will remain at the bottom — this is the nitrate of silver.
Carefully pour off the water, so as not to lose a particle of
the sediment, and fill the vessel again with w^aten* and stir
it well up. Kepeat this a dozen times during the day to
eliminate the salt and acid. * In the meantiim* grind — in
water — three ounces of yellow lake ; grind it to an impalpable

A TKEATISE ON TgE AKT OF GLASS PAINTING.

different sizes) will be required, and care should be taken, in?
selecting them, that no coarse hairs have been accidentally
mixed in the making with the soft ones. These are about
all the paint(ir requires in j^he way of brushes, but there are
i several othei’ accessories to mention. Three glass mullers
of various sizes will be wanted, viz., an incli and a half, a
two-inch, and a two and a lialf-inch one.

A needhi point mounted on the end of a ])iece i»f hard
wood is an admirabU'. etching tool foi’ fl(‘sli, heraldic charges,,
and wherever very hn<' hakdied lines on a dark gi’ound are
required.

One of the simpkist and most elfective tools is a commcm
goose-quill, e.iit like? a pen, but without the slit for writing, for
etching out the high lights in the hail* or beard of a figure,
for small (lia})ered patterns, and a great variety of uses. I’he

g. — —

Fic. 111. — Hand Host.

goose has aptly bei'ii calked th(? glass painter’s friend, not
because birds of a featlnu* flock togetheu*, but because in an
able paintt;r’s hand the grey goose-(juiil can be made to do
wonderful things, and to obtain pc'culiar efl'ects upon matted
grounds. Formerly tlu; grey goose was the patron of archers,
then of schoolmasters, and now of glass painters.

To make the (|uill-etch(?r, sharpen the quill as for a pen,
but do not mak(' tjie slit in it. Have some quills broads
nosed, others mon^ pointed.

The hand rest is another useful tool, giving freedom to
the tracer's hand wlien outlining, raising the hand from the
* work, and so keejiing the sleeve and wrist from spoiling the
wet work beneath. It is simply a piece of oak or mahogany,
from twelve? to twenty-fouit inches long, two inches Wide,
a»d three-eighths of an inch tliick, mounted on two little

UOLiOURS AND BRUSHES USED J[N (tLASS PAINTING 91

wooden legs or ends about an inch and a half high. Begin-
ners find this somewhat difficult to use at first, but in time
it becomes indispensable, arid no work should bo attempted
without it.

For taking out shar]) lights some j)ointed pieces of lance-
wood will be found useful, as th(‘y will not l)j*eak at their
points, because' of the.ir toughness.

Fid. iJO. — ^Tiiiprovi'd (Harts Painting Fasnl.

The last and most expensive recjuiremeiit is an easeL
This is of somewhat pcxuiliar conslruction, but not at all
difficult to make.

The front of the easel is a rectangk* about three f(U)t high •
by two feet broad, the side pieces being ])roloiig(;d about three
inches to form short legs. The wood of the front is three
inches by an inch; upon the back at 1), 1) are screwed tftvo.

92 ' A TBEATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

L-shaped nuiners to hold a thin sliding frame, called the
“paper-frame,” being covered, when in use, with white
tissue paper to subdue and diffuse the light. This frame is
made so as to slip easily fin and out between the runners,
1), D. Long back legs, IL with a strut near the bottom,
and a toj) pi(^ce above, are hinged to the front of the easel
l)y a couple of ordinary butt hinges. An Tj-shaped ledge, A,
is next scivwed along the fiont of the eastd, and the whole is
com2)l(3te.

The use of the ledge, A, is to support a thick sheet of
glass, tlirc'C' fec't by two feet, called the easel glass, upon
which ^ is fasteiK'.d, with a jueparation of beeswax and resin,
all the littk^ piece's of glass which go to make up a figure
or cano})y, and to hold them in their correct places while
they are b(ung painted.

Sometimes the easel has an additional wooden frame, C,
about two feet scpiare, hinged to the upper ])art of the front,
and covered with brown papei*. ^riiis being ludd in position
by two side rods, kee])s tlu^ glares of light which streams over
the top of the easel from the painter’s eyes, ft is, however,
hardly necessary, though it is us(‘d by a few fastidious
painters.

By the way, a few ground glass palettes, a quarter of an
inch thick and seven to ten inches Sf|uare, will be required
for grinding the colour upon, and that is all.

Now having our tools, brushes and easel, we will proceotl
to consider the art of the painter.

Fii;. 21. — Medieval Headdress

CHAPTEK YT.

PAINTING ON GLASS— DISPPKSKD PATTERNS.

Acri) Work.

»

Broadly speakin^L there are two inodes of paintin^^ These
are generally known as painting in oil " and “ painting
in water,” and are very dilierent in technique. By the use
of the first mod(^ a delicacy and softness of modelling is
obtained which, for work going near the eye, lias charms
of its own, while the watei' method gives fine broad results —
crisp, sharp lights, is cleanly to work, gives gn'ater dtjpth
and contrast of light and shade, and by its means we can,
perhaps, come nearer tlie idealistic work of the eai ly sixteenth
century than by the other method.

Perhaps the bette.r way will be to desc.ribi^ the painting of
a figure in each style. The reader can then form an opinion
of the methods, and select the one he fanedtjs he can most
readily manage, and in which he is most lik(‘.ly to obtain the
best results.

As we have the figure of St. Paul drawn, and the glass
already cut, it will be as well to take that as our example.

Our first method shall be- that known as painting in oil.
Grind up a batch of tracing colour, two parts of brown tc
one of black, and when very finely trituratcxl, add sufficieni
brown sugar to make the colour flow freely Irom the tracing
brush.

94 ' k TREATISE ON TIiE ART, OF GLASS PAINTING.,

Of course the suj]far must be ground up and well incor-
porated with the colour, and a few trials on a piece of glass
will prove if enough sugar has been added.

The tests are that the Colour should just flow freelj^ from
the pencil without dragging, should dry equally all over — not
leaving wet spots long after the rest is dry ; and when dry
it should he fairly glossy, without being absolutely shiny like
varnish.

If too niueli sugar is used the paint will not dry, whilst
when it is being fired the particles of sugai* will boil and cause
tlie paint to rise in a number of minute bubbles and blisters,
which »give a pc^culiarly spotted appearance to the lines, called
frizzling I’oo much sugar must therefore be avoided.

Some use treacle, some loaf sugar, and others brown
Demerara sugar. The kitten* is the best.

Having ascertained that your paint is in good working
order, lay your (cartoon on your woi'k board and proceed to
carefully outline tlu! head and hands.

Do the latter first, as being less important, and so get
your tracer, ])aint and hand in working trim before attempt-
ing the head. Bee that the filling in round the outlines of
the hands is solid and black.

Take great care m outlining the head, putting in good
bold sweeping strokes for the hair and beard, and more
delicate lines for th(‘ eyes, mouth, nose, etc., remembering
that the centre line of the mouth, the under part of the
nostrils, and tlu! uflder part of the upper eyelids, will bear
firmer and broader lines than in other parts. The lower
eyelids and lowi^r lip must be represented by mere hair lines:

The “ flesh ” having been carefully outlined, should be
sent to the kiln for “ tacking,” as a light firing is called.

In the meantime we proceed with the rest of the figure.
Laying the cartoon full length on the work board, the easel
glass must be laid over it ; and upon it, in half-tint lines, the

PAINTING ON GLASS— DISPIIESED PATTEENS.

95

^ole figure must be traced, every fold and line being lightly
touched in.

That being accomplished, wipe every piece of glass com-
posing the figure very clean, and ^slipping the cartoon of St.
Paul from under the easel glass, substitute tlu^ outline, and
carefully lay every component piece of the figure upon the
easel glass in its exact position shown on the outline. Next
comes the operation f)f “ sticking-up,” that is, of fastening all
the individual pieces of the figure upon the (uisel glass, so
that when the latter is raised to a vertical position the whole
of the figur{‘ will appear as if in one piece ready for painting,
or as if it wei'e a (canvas with the flat colours blocked in.

Take a verv small tin saucepan and into it break a quarter
of a pound of pure beeswax and an oun(;e of resin, which
melt and stir iiitiinat(dy togetluM' ovei- a fire ; when thoroughly
incorporated take ti narrow stri]) of glass running to a blunt
point, and, dipping it into the molten “ wax,” as it is called,
proceed to fasten all tlie little portions of th(‘ figure to the
easel glass by allowing drops of the wax to fall at the
junctions and aiound the edges of the various pieces. When
this has Ixxin carefully done, th(^ easel glass can be gently
raised and placed upon the easel, which stands on our work
board, with its front legs near the front edge of the board,
and its back to the window of the room, from which the light
streams through the figure and gives it a very peculiar
appearaiice, as it neitluir possesses folds nor distinction of
any kind, except that it is what an artiste would call “ blocked
out in colour

But although there are no folds actually on the glass of
the figure, yet we must remember then; are folds indicated
on the easel glass behind the figure — faint where, there is
white glass, and heavier where there is coloured glass.

This indication of folds, etc.t is all we have to guide us in
the painting.

96 ^ A TREATISE ON HHE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

We hang the cartoon in a convenient place on our left-
hand side so as to be readily seen without turning the body^
and then proceed to the painting of the figure.

Take another glass pal(:.tte and grind up three parts brown
tracing colour to one of black and add gum as a medium.

First wit]] a tracer put in all the shadow lines of the
drapery, the outline of the sword, pattern on the shoes, etc.

Next with a half -inch flat brush and the long-haired
sti])pler go over the whole of the pieces of drapery, laying on
the paint and stipjding it with as mucli regard to light and
shade as you can bedore tht^ colour dries.

Naturally on the shoulders and th(‘ parts of the drapeiy
upon which light falls you would stipple tlie colour sparingly,
but under the hand holding the book, and down the right-
hand side of the figun' (looking at it), you would stipple in the
shadow with more strength.

The next op(‘ration will be to take out with the various
kinds of “ scrubs " the light parts of the folds of the draperies.
First with a pointed pi(Hie of wood, or a very small and
pointed scrub, the highest lights of each fold of drapery may
be roughly but accurately removed.

Then with scrubs of various sizes and shapes proceed to
scrub out the lights from all the folds of drapery in a skilful
manner, using little scrubs for small folds, and your largest
for broad massvis of light such as may be seen on the thigh,
and on the lining drapery by the sword.

All this must be done in a very skilful and careful manner,
gradating the lights into the shadows as much as possible,
and leaving no harsh contrasts of light and shade in close
juxtaposition.

Blend and soften, scrub and stipple out your folds of
drapery wherever necessary, but remember that many folds,
do not require lights out at'all—they merely want shadows
ptit in ; and this is another process.

PAINTING ON GLASS — ^DISBBRSED PATTERNS. * 97

When you have removed all the paint that your high
light and half tones demand, you may strengthen up your
drapery lines where required with a tracer, and also add the
pattern to the borders of the oigter garment. Trace in the
grass, etc., put a pattern on the book and shoes, a few firm
lines to the pommel of the sword, etc.

So far your principal difficulty will have been in the
management of your gum colour. Let us put you right in
this, as upon the correct working of the gum colour every-
thing depcjids.

On a clean glass ])alett(i mix two parts of brown tracing
colour to one part of black, and thoronglily grind^it with
water ; then add about one twelfth of its bulk of gum, and
regrind with a glass mu Her.

The difticulties of the beginner with his gum colour are
many, yet when he has learned its proper mixing nothing
can be simpler.

The difficulties are : —

1. The colour when dry upon the glass which is being
painted comes off at the least touch, and will not stipple
properly, will not lie flat, but shades itself in light and dark
patches. 'J’his denotes too little gum ; add more and try
again.

2. The colour when dry will not come off‘ under the
influence of the scrubs, and where it has been traced on, or
put on in a solid manner, it begins to chip and peel off*. That
means too much gum. Put half the colour aside, and grind
a little more colour in water, and add to what is left. This
will have the effect of reducing the strength of the gum and
bring matters right.

3. After adding quite a lot of gum the colour will not
act properly, for on trying to scrub out lights it comes off in
patches leaving the glass quit^ clear, so tjiat half tones are
impossible. In this case the gum is impure, and for gliss

98 (A. TREATISE ON Tip ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

painting purposes useless. Ordinary shop gum, or mucilage,
has mixed with it a chemical for keeping it, or in some cases
a spirit for the same purpose, and it is these admixtures
which make the gum unsuitable for glass painting.

Make your own, therefore, and know what you are using.
Take one ounces of pure gum arahic and place in a basin,
and upon it pour a pint of cold water. Stir many times
daily for several days until the gum is completely melted.
Plac(^ a pierce of muslin ov(u* a bn^akfast cup and strain the
gum throngti, bottling it in a closely corked nuidicine bottle.

To t(3st th(^ colour before using is a simple matter, and
should always be carefully done, as ten minutes’ testing will
give you hours of pleasant and certain working.

When you have ground your colour and mixed with it
what you think a sufhciency of gum, take a little of the
colour and stipple it upon any odd piece of glass — merely
a patch of half tint- -and let it dry. When dry take the
tip of the finger, or, better still, the ball of the thumb, and
rub the colour. If it comes oil' easily add more gum ; if
it is very difficult to remove, you hav(! too much gum with
it — add mon; colour. If it comes off gi'adually to the rubbing
the colour is just right; try' with a ^scrub, and if it comes
off, leaving a nice? gradation of tone, you may commence your
work.

Under no circumstance commence your work until you
are quite satisfied the, colour is “right for gum,” or dis-
appointment and failure must follow, even with an experi-
enced man.

Before this digression upon gum-colour we had brought
our figure to a stage ready for oil painting, but before
proceeding we place the head and hands, which have now
been fired, in their correct places on the easel glass, and fix
them. We now have the entire figure before us.

^ First strengthen, where necessary, any lines in the hair,

PAINTING ON GLASS — DliPERSED PATTERNS^ 99 ^

•

beardl, or features with a tracer, then quickly place colour over
the whole head, and stipple it first with the long stippler, and,
before it has time to dry, with one of the French stipplers, so as
to secure as hm a grain as possible. Do this to the hands also.
Again touch up or strengthen where necessary. Then most
carefully take out the various “ lights ” from the face with
round scrubs, off the forehead, cheeks, nose, (‘tc., but see
that these lights merge gradually into the half tint with
which th(^ fac(i is covered ; no sudd('n lights must be removed,
but everytliing done slowly and thoughtfully, liemove lights
from the hair and beard with the quills, which with practice
may be made to talo; out fiiu*, or broad lines, according to
the pressunj placed upon them and the angle at which they
are held.

The board of St. Paul gives fine scope for (|uill work,
and the quill may also be used to take out bright lights
in the borders of the cloak, ])onimeI of sword, and wherever
sharp lights are requin'd.

Now we will take a third glass palette and grind our oil
colour. Mix oiui part brown shading colour, one part shading
black, and one part umber ; grind thoroughly in turpentine.

Too much stress cannot be laid upon the admonition to
“ grind thoroughly Its omission is the amateur’s cause
of non-success in many instances.

If thcjre is any doubt as to whether th’e colour is suffi-
ciently ground, dip a brush into it, and smear some of it
upon a bit of window glass. If thoroughly ground the
colour will be soft and smooth in texture, but if individual
specks, atoms or microscopic grains can lie detected, grind
again and again till the colour is a men^ impalpable mass^
smooth and gritless.

Now look at our figure on the easel. It is a study in half
tints and lights, with but liftle attempt at shadow so far,
and it is with the oil colour that we now commence* the

98 (A. TREATISE ON Tip ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

painting purposes useless. Ordinary shop gum, or mucilage,
has mixed with it a chemical for keeping it, or in some cases
a spirit for the same purpose, and it is these admixtures
which make the gum unsuitable for glass painting.

Make your own, therefore, and know what you are using.
Take one ounces of pure gum arahic and place in a basin,
and upon it pour a pint of cold water. Stir many times
daily for several days until the gum is completely melted.
Plac(^ a pierce of muslin ov(u* a bn^akfast cup and strain the
gum throngti, bottling it in a closely corked nuidicine bottle.

To t(3st th(^ colour before using is a simple matter, and
should always be carefully done, as ten minutes’ testing will
give you hours of pleasant and certain working.

When you have ground your colour and mixed with it
what you think a sufhciency of gum, take a little of the
colour and stipple it upon any odd piece of glass — merely
a patch of half tint- -and let it dry. When dry take the
tip of the finger, or, better still, the ball of the thumb, and
rub the colour. If it comes oil' easily add more gum ; if
it is very difficult to remove, you hav(! too much gum with
it — add mon; colour. If it comes off gi'adually to the rubbing
the colour is just right; try' with a ^scrub, and if it comes
off, leaving a nice? gradation of tone, you may commence your
work.

Under no circumstance commence your work until you
are quite satisfied the, colour is “right for gum,” or dis-
appointment and failure must follow, even with an experi-
enced man.

Before this digression upon gum-colour we had brought
our figure to a stage ready for oil painting, but before
proceeding we place the head and hands, which have now
been fired, in their correct places on the easel glass, and fix
them. We now have the entire figure before us.

^ First strengthen, where necessary, any lines in the hair,

PAINTING^ ON GLAgS—BISfEBSED PATTERIStS. * 1^1

oil, and the shadows systematically and carefully put in—’not
black shades, but so arranged that the light may easily
penetrate even in the darkest parts.

The glass painter s art is not uo blot out, and consequently
lose, the glass, by reason of the depths of the shadows, but,
without destroying his material, to modiilatti and shade the
glass that folds and shades may be shown without absolute
opacity. Too mucli shading and smothering the glass is a
grave fault of many modern glass painters ; the striving for
pictorial eftc'ct such as one sees on (mnvas is too great, and
the windows ol theses artists suffer in consequence.

Their work may be admirably manipulated, but# is more
fitting for canvas than glass ; it is muddy and opaque, the
brilliancy ol the material is hidden and sacrificed, and the
whole execution more suitable for a wall fip-sco than a glas«
window.

Jlevenom a nos inoiiUms, or revert to our “ flesh Veins may
b(j taken out of the left hand with a quill, and then softened
down with the gc'neral shading of the hand.

The beard and hair may be painted over any colour the
artist may desire — black, brown, or auburn — or may be left
white ; but the colour should not be stippled, only put on with
a painter in a somewhat dry manner, so that the brush marks
may show and the high lights beneath be seen.

This hair colouring should iu)t be overdone for J;he first
firing as an opportunity to strengthen will be given by-and-bye.

When all that can be doiu; with tffe painter and stippler
has been accomplished, high lights must be taken out sharply
here and there with a wooden stylus or a quill. This must^
be done round the edges of the book, the clasp, etc. ; the^
handle and one edgti of the sword ; here and there where light
falls on the bordering, and round every piece of drapery
which shows an edge.

The easel glass must now be taken down from the easel

102 Ji TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

ft

and laid flat on the work board, and the various pieces of
glass detached, all those requiring to be stained being put
aside, while those pieces which are finished are placed in
trays ready for firing, only< those to be stained being left
on the board.

Some artists “ back ” all their white glass, a process which
slightly subdues and (jualifies its otherwise, too brilliant ap-
pearance. “ Ba(;king ” is simply the following ; Each piece of
whit(‘. glass is slightly stippled on th(5 ])ack with W'ater colour ;
when dry it is ruhlxul with the liall of the thumb, which
gives the glass a varied and somewhat anti(juated ajipi'araiice.
It certainly adds to the beauty of a window by giving it a
certain air of old age, to which it is not jierhaps legitimately
entitled. 1’he operation, however, is perfectly legitimate,
and to be wcdl done should not be overdone, otherwise the
brilliancy of the glass is destroyed, and the whole thing looks
more like a painting on jiaper than on a brilliant and cheerful
material like glass.

The head and hands may receive; a very slight backing of
china red — just a suspicion.

The red should be ground in water and gum afterwards
added — just sufficient to keep the colour from scratching or
coming off too easily. It should be laid on with a camel-
hair painter, and then smoothed off with a badger softener.

This^ is a vefy fugitive colour, and unless put on fairly
strong will not show at all when fired. The flesh colour
must not be put on* so heavily as to produce a “healthy
complexion,” but merely so as to get rid of the unpleasant,
corpse-like tint of the green glass.

^ As to the employment of flesh red at all, there is great
diversity of opinion, many eminent painters regarding it with
aversion, while others, especially of the Continental school,
look upon it as a necessary adjunct. We have, indeed, plenty of
examples of both German and Italian modern glass in which

PAINTING ON GLASS-— DlSfERSEI) PATTERNS.# 10^

flesh red is not only used as a backing/’ but as a surface
colour of so deep a hue as to represent the “ flesh ” of a good,
healthy, living individual.

This book is not written to discuss knotty (jontroversial
points, but merely to point out what is done in modern glass
painting, and how to do it ; we must b(i exciis(^d, therefore,
from giving our ])ersonal opinion on many intei-esting matters.
The last proiu'ss prior to firing our figure is to stain certain
portions.

Now for a few woi’ds as to stain. Stain should be well
ground in tur])eniine — ordinary grinding will not do. Ordi-
naiy grinding nu'ans to the amatcmr putting staii^ ujjon a
glass tile, flooding it with turpentiiu;, and splashing it about
with a muller for two or three minuhis. Hut if we are to be
successful with our stain — and that often means the making
or marring of a window — we must 8(H' that the stain is so
finely ground that it forms a soft, cnnmiy mass free from
th(' slightest suspicion of grain or grit. The grinding process
is tedious, and makes one’s hand and arm ache, and it
takes a long time to get to perfection; hut that is a thing
truly worth aiming at. When very finely ground, add just
sufficient fat oil to make the stain flow freely from the brush.
Its presence in sufficient quantity will also prevent the stain
from being scratched, unless subjected to very rough usage.
On staining different kinds of glass we wilHspeak later. We
have only to stain jiarts of the book, th(^ nimbus, the sword-hilt,
and the border of our present work, a Ad it is ready for firing.

The stain should be applied with a flat camel-hair brush,
and always on the back of the glass. Due regard must be
given in staining as to whether a rich or pale stain is required,
and the pigment coated on the glass in a thick or thin manner
accordingly. Now our glass is sent to the kiln for firing ; when
it returns to us again it mus! be fixed on the easel with wax
that we may judge of the effect. The flesh wdll look thin* and

104 TREATISE ON THE ART OE GLASS PAINTING.

must be again attended to. For this a thin mat of colour should
be either badgered over the whole surface, or else finely
stippled with a French stippler. Perhaps very fine stipple
is the better way. In passing, we may note that to “mat”
glass is simply to cover it with gum or other colour, smoothed
over with a badger softeiiei*, and is not now much resorted
to by glass painters, as it does not permit light to pass through
as in the case of stipple. Wlnni the stipple is dry on head
and hands — and it must only be a very thin coating — proceed
to model the face morii by stippling out light where required,
and after obtaining all the effect j)0ssible by that mod(', again
coat with tar-oil, and paint and round up th(^ featui'es with
the oil (;ol()ur. If carefully and deeply done, this second
painting and third tiring will be all that is necessaiy. The
drapery must now be carefully scrutinised, and if any of it
show’s* signs of being under-painted or too thin, it must be
again gone over, either in oil colour, or if necessary lioth
with water colour and then oil. A ck'ver jiainter wdll finish
his drapery at one painting ; but as we cannot ail be clever
the figure may, in amateur hands, require} almost repainting
— in any case, much of it will. For th(} second painting avoid
getting the shadows too heavy or dense, as, as a rule, the
second coat of paint does not soft(}n down so much in the
kiln as the first.

■ Having thus looked over our figure, and retouched and
repainted where nec.essary, we send it again to the kilnman
for a light firing, and ki his hands wo will leave it while we
consider how a figure may be best painted entirely by the
use of water colour.

By water colour no other colour than brown-black gum
c^olour is meant ; a single drop of sugar or turpentine would
ruin the entire batch of colour. Clean water should be used,
so that there may be no risk of Using water that may contain
sugaf.

PAINTING ON GLASS— DISBBBSEB PATTERNS. # 105

•

We will paint a single figure as we did in the first case,
(falling our figure St. Peter this time instead of St. PauL
L^y the cartoon on the bench with the tray containing the
various pieces of glass upon you.- left, and the glass palette,
water glass, brushes, etc., on your right.

See that your colour is tested for gum, and, if anything,
let th(i gum be rather slightly in excess than too sparingly
used. First candully outline the lu^ad and hands, and coat
them on the flesh jiarts with c.hina n'.d ap])lied in oil colour
to the front of tlie glass, and let them be lightly tired.

In the nieantiiiKi proceed to outline all the drapery, ])utting
in all the folds, pattern of border, book, keys, etc., fplly and
solidly, remembering to put a solid lim^ of colour round
every piece of drapery where it acts as a boundary or defining
line. This gives the glazi(u- an opportunity of cutting or
grozing a little of thii glass from th(^ edge of piiices requiring
it, so as to make them fit their leaden environments closely.

When everything has becui outlined, then, piece by piece,,
take each section oi glass and, not too heavily, paint in the
deeper shadijs of the various folds, not troubling to stipple
them. This must be done with due regard to tlu; toning off
of the shadows, so as not to leave harsh dark lines where
half tint only should be seen.

Only the princi])al shadows need be thus indicated, as the*
finer details will be best jnit in on the easel. *

The next stage is to lay the cntime under the easel glass,,
and, as already described with th(^ figure of St. Paul, fasten
each individual piece of glass to the eased glass, including the
flesh, which wc^ will supposes to have been fire^d successfully.

Having the^ figure before us, we commence with a tracer
to mend broken lines, make others run properly where two
or more pieces meet, and generally to strengthen up our
outline.

Black in outlining and filling in is the life of a chufeh

106 %A TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

window ; and, while avoiding absolute coarseness, it is difficult
to put in the leading lines too heavily, while when it comes
to ornamental patterns it will be seen that in many cases
people do not look at what the artist puts on the glass for
the })attern at all, but upon the glass w'hich he leaves un-
covered. The black outline and filling on th(^ glass simply de-
fines the patt('rn, whicli pattern is really the uncovered glass.
The eye rej(>cts the ])aint put on by the artist, and only collects
the rays coming through tlu^ glass and fonuing the pattern.

Having stnmgthened our linos, we next cardully go over
the sllado^\s by quickly and didicately laying on colour with
a camel-hair painter, which we immediately stipple down,
having great regard for half tone's and high lights.

The head and hands may have some of the deeper shades
stippled in with tlie l^Vench stippk'r, h'aving the high lights
■quite untoiK^hed.

St. Peter’s hair and heard will he whiter : we therefore
grind a small (piantity of black shading colour and gum on
a glass tile, and paint in the shadows of the hair and beard
with it, using only a painting brush hut no stippler.

Now comes a ticklish task, and one that will test our gum
•colour to the utmost, and that is, piece by piece, we have to
put on a w^ash of paint with the half-inch flat, and stipple it
without removing or in the least disturbing the under colour,
folds, lines and Shadows whicli we have so industriously been
putting on.

Take only as miUJi paint in the brush as you think will
cover the piece of glass to be attacked, and do not let it be
too wet or liquid ; then lightly and quickly go over the. piece
of glass regardless of what is painted on it, and as quickly
■and lightly as possible stipple it all over.

Do this to every individual piece on the easel until the
whole figure is coated a nice browm half-tint.

^The larger the piece the more skill required, but time and

PAINTINCt on glass— dispsrskd patterns. I 107

practice will give the knack of covering such large surfaces
without injuring the sub-colour as to a beginner would be
quite impossible.

Of course a clever modulation of this over-coat of colour
will do a great deal to help to round up the figure and give
masses of shade. Where a knee or (dhow })ulges out drapery,
or the light strikes on a shoulder, hut little or no colour need
be applied, for it will only hav(i to he taken off again with
scrubs, etc.

If you were careful with th(^ drapery, you must he doubly
so with the face, })utting the colour on as thin, dry, and
lightly as pcjssihle. You will he able to go dexterously over
the whol(‘. surface with a fine Fnmch stippku’ without moving
the under colour.

By these remarks it may he gathered how necessary it is
to test and to have the gum (colour exact before attempting
to work with it ; a little too much or too little gum and your
work will he spoiled.

Little mishaps which occasionally occur must he patched
and mended if not important, hut if anything is radically
wrong the piece must be entirely repainted.

Now commence with the head, and with quills, scrubs,
and stippling scTuhs set to WT)rk to etch out the lights from
the face, hair, and heard. Do not etch so industriously as to
remove every particle from the high lights,* hut allow^ a film
to remain almost everywhere.

If little spots are difficult to remove, *etch them away with
the needle point set in a handle.

The drapery must in turn, fold by fold, he lightened with
scrubs and stippling scrubs in the same manner, taking care ^
to graduate the colour between the high lights and the
shadows, so as to give a softness and tone instead of dashing
at once from light to shadoV, as if the folds were steel
armour instead of cloth or linen.

108 TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

The head and hands should now be carefully removed
from the easel glass and fired, after which they should be put
in place again, and once more stippled over with a fine, thin
film, from which lights are to be again taken. Then, very
delicately and cjuickly, the deeper shadows must be stippled in^

The quill will again be requisitioned for the hair and
beard, and where its b ack is too crisp and sudden a flat scrub
must be used to go over the part, so as to leave streaks like
individual hairs, which, if necessary, can be altered, toned
dow'n or obliterakul by going over with the flat brush charged
with black colour.

All {be drap(uy, which is now in a condition of light and
half-tone, must next have the shadows stipjiled in with gum
colour, and the sharp “ stick lights,” as they are termed,
removed from tht‘ edg(‘.s of drap(5ry, keys, l>ook, etc., with a
sharpened stick or ({iiill.

Now, as in tlie figure of St. Paul, the individual piec'es
must be removed from the easel and placed on the w’ork
board. All the dark pieces may be })ut into a flat wooden
tray, but the pale pieces should have a “ backing ” Of gum
colour stippled on, as in the first figure, and this should also
be rubbed with the ball of the thumb. Stain should be put
on the back where required, and tlu; wholi' may then be sent
to the kilnl

On its j'eturn the figure should at once be put on the
easel glass, new piec^es cut to take the place of breakages, and
the whole scrutinised.o If any pieces are thin in painting they
should be again gone ov(U% and any little improvements or
details added.

Water-colour drapery does not often require a second
'painting as a whohi, but still minor lueces may require a
little attention.

It must not be imagined that these two methods are the
onfy ones employed by modern painters, but they give the

PAINTINtf ON GLASS— DISPilRSBD PATTEBNS. ; > 109

groundwork and fundamental principles from which a dozen
styles and combinations spring, and almost every devotee of
the art has a different way of getting his effects, putting in
his details, method of taking out lights, proportions in mixing
his colours, depth of painting, manner of staining, etc.,
which mark the individuality of the man, and give a definite
character to his work.

Another method of figun^ painting is a (amibinaiion of
the oil and water processes : drapery is outlined and the deej)er
shadows put in with water colour, after which the folds are
rounded up and the half tints are added in oil colour. This
method has a very soft appearance, and lias a nuipber of
followers.

Heads an; often traced in sugar colour and fired; then
matted or stippled over with gum colour and lights taken
out ; the shadows are then put in with oil colour, ainf the
hair tinted with the same. The head is then fired a second
time.

The next process is to model up the head in finely stippled
oil colour, rounding it up and putting in all ne(;essary touches,
after which it receives a film of china red on the back, is
stained if necessary, and again fired. This method of
painting gives beautiful results, but care should be taken to
finish at the third firing, for a fourth is very often fatal—
the glass naturally bec(unes more brittle at eafch firing.

For a head to fly at the third firing is a disaster for which
there is no remedy, save to recut anci repaint it with the
fervent hope that it may this time be satisfactory and no
further breakage occur.

For “ canopy ” work — the generic name of all architectural
ornament, whether canopies, shaftings or bases — -there are two
or three principal modes of painting, each of which we will
briefly glance at.

In all cases the glass has to be thoroughly cleaned. The

110 TREATISE ON TJtE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

glass merchants, in marking the length and breadth fef each
sheet of glass, use a strip of soap or a candle to indicate the
figures, and special care must be taken to see that these ‘
greasy marks are entirely, removed from the glass, or the
colour will not “ take ” in the parts where any of the grease
remains. A bowl of wahn- with a little common soda or lime
in it will clean the glass very eifecitually. As the glass is
wiped, lay each piec(i upon the cutline in its correct position.

When that is done tht‘ whole of the canopy, pie(;e by })iece,
must be outliiKnl on the individual pi('ces of glass in sugar
colour, car(‘ being taken to put in plenty of solid black around
the pinnacles, crockets, etc., and not to be afraid to make
good, strong main lines, with phnity of black wheriwer you
can put it, so as to accentuate pattern and outline. The
black you put on the glass will not be seen when a person
looks at the window, he will only perceive tlui pattern which
youi‘ black lines enclose and form.

When everything is well outlined, little bits of shadow
niay be carefully ]>ut in with a camel-hair painter, but only
just indicated, ^lie glass must then be fired. Upon its
being retunuKl the easel glass must be placed over the out-
line, the glass laid out in its exact place, and the whole fixed
to the eased glass with the wax composition as previously
explained.

On being plac('.d upon the easel the outlines must be
corrected, half tint lines made black, broken lines made good,
weak spots filled in, etc., then the whole must be finely
stippled over with a liberal coat of black-brown gum colour
and allow(;d to dry.

The high lights must then be removed sharply and
crisply with a painted stick or quill. Then with scrubs the
ordinary lights must be taken out from all parts, both stem
work and ornameptal details.*

• When this is done the whole effect will be a very beauti-

PAINTING ON GLASS— DIS^ESED PATTERNS, j 111

ful on^ of high lights, moderate broad lights and half tints.
It now remains for the work to be hnished with oil colour.

This is applied, just as it was in the case of 8t. Paul’s
drapery, by moistening each pjece with tar-oil and then
stippling in the shadows, using the colour as dry as possible
to prevent running or blurring.

Where necessary a few more lights may bo taken out
with a stick, and the glass is ready to be removed from the
easel. J^jefore releasing the canopy from the easel glass it
will be as well to allow the paint a couple of hours to dry,
a process which may be facilitated by using oiu^ part of
tar-oil to two parts ol raw turpentine wluui stippling the
oil-mat on the' glass.

When the pieces are ready they should receive a thin
stippled mat of gum colour on th(^ back, which should be-
slightly rubbed with the ball of the thumb to give^'it a
somewhat subdued and old appearance.

The stain should then be applied to the bacik ; but it
must not be forgotten that where stain has to be applied the •
“backing” colour must b(^ first removed, otherwise the stain
will have a muddy and opaque appearance. The glass is
then fired, and if painted deeply enough will need nothing
further done to it.

Amateurs unfortunately have a knack of painting their
work so as to look well on the easel, but when it is fired
they are astonished to find themselves confrontc^d with the
ghost of a canopy or base, or whatever they have been
painting. They forget what a lot of the colour is eliminated
and dispersed in the firing ; or they are timid and fear their
work will appciar over-painted, opaque and dirty, consequently
a failure. Such solidity never mars the amateur’s work ; his.'
boldness and depth vanish in the kiln, and leave an insipid
groundwork just ready to be pointed and f red again^a clear
loss of time, money and effect. But experientm docet.

112 TREATISE ON T^E ART OF GLASS PAINTING,

<

Now we will inquire into another method of jfeinting
canopy work, this time all in water colour, and to be finished
at one firing — a crisp, workmanlike mode. Clean the glass '
as before and outline with gum colour, not neglecting the
former precaution of not having a bit of sugar colour near,
and to use clean water for fear of the contamination of sugar,
which utterly spoils gum colour.

Outline w'ith plenty t>f black, give vigour and spikiness
to all tli(^ little details of crockets, finials, terminals and
enrichments in general.

That being accomplished, tlu^ work must be “ stuck up ”
— that is, fixed with the little drojis of wax on the easel glass,
which is then duly jilaced ujion the easel. Mend all lines,
make broken curves coired, marry diverging lines, and see
that everything is perfect.

Next, with a (ianiel-liair painter and smaU stippler, put in
all shadows, giving deeper shadows an extra touch. Every-
thing being jiorfectly dry, you must take a half-inch flat and
your larger stippler and stijiple over every separate piece of
glass — ^just a nice, deej), half-toned, fine stipple.

When this is dry, with quill and pointed wooden stylus,
take out the high lights from the glass, which is now so dark
that the details of ornament can only be seen with difficulty.
Now a word of caution : in putting on the stippled mat
let no shadow be so dense but that the underlying ornament
may be seen and defined beneath. If this rule is adhered to
the work will not be, too heavily painted when fired ; but if
the stippled mat is so heavily applied that the detail of
ornament is obliterated, then you have set yourself a very
hard task to find wdiat you have hidden, and the probable
result will be an over-painted, dull and dirty canopy. There-
fore use caution in applying the stippled mat, which looks
darker and more opaque after it is dry than during the
process of stippling when it is wet.

PAINTING ON GLASS— DIF^ERSED PATTERNS. 1]3

After all the crisp, telling high lights have been etched
out the scrubs must be brought into use, and the broader
lights taken out in bold sweeps — not forgetting to leave some
colour on the glass— just a tone— even in the highest lighted
parts. A little tom^ kdt on the glass does not detract from
its brilliancy, and keeps the wiivguai'ds from so ])ainfully
grinning through, as th(‘y do in some thinly painted win-
dows.

If, alter the lights are taken out, a little more shading is
required in parts, it may (‘asily he doiu^ by stippling colour
over the ])art.

Witli care wash after wasli of colour may be^ stippled
over the same ])iec(' of glass until it becomes absolutely
opa(]ue, and yet the first hyvv not lx* liarmed in the slightest
degree.

The glass may now be knocked down from the ease;] glass
and stained, and is (|uite ready for firing.

A third mode of (umopy jiainting is this : —

Clean tluj glass ; lay it out on the cutline, and, piece by
piece, tiutline it in gum colour, to which an extra soup^m of
gum has becui added to give thv, lines firmness and be loss
liable to “ wash up ” in the after painting.

That being done, stick the work on the eased glass and
look it over to see that all lines run, etc.

Next, commencing at the toj), put in all the shadows with
a camel-hair painter and gum colour. Let the gum colour
be the same that you outlined with, bui* with just a modicum
of fresh colour ground up and put with it, so that, while it
may be easily removed wdth scrubs, there will be no danger of
the outlines being scrubbed away at the same time.

Bound up all the ornamental detail in a broad manner,
not paying particular attention to finish ; the thing is to get
enough shading on and to liglAly cover ovpr the half tints so
as to get a ground to work ujion.

8

114 ^ TREATISE ON TH^u ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

A batch of oil colour must now be gi’ound in turpSntine,
and a little fat oil added, just sutticient to make the cx)lour
work properly. Keep the colour as dry as possible in the
f^rinding. With a half-inch flat and a larger stippler you
must go over every piece of glass, stippling on colour as
deeply as possible without losing the outline by putting it on
too deeply.

Kem(‘.ml)(U' that when the turpentine evaporates the
stippled colour will appear much darker than when it is being
put on. For a “ inedunii " to di]) your brush in occasionally
use turpcintiiu' in which a lew drops of tar-oil have; been mixed
.and stir]‘ed.

The cano])v should now be left for an hour to dry. When
■quite dry take out smart, bright, stick lines for high lights,
and also take out littk' bright sjiots for the highest lights (»n
all ornamental detail, edg(‘s of lines, liiiials, crockets, etc.

Then, with scrubs of various shapes and sizes, priiudpally
the round stipjiJing scrubs, take out the broader ordinary
lights, getting nice gradations of tone from the brightest
stick lights, through ordinary lights into siunitones, and so
gradually into the dee])est shadows.

When the process is completed the whok' should ajipear
some degrees darker than it will be afh'r it is fired. If it
looks on the easel as you would wish it to look in the church
you will be sadlj disappointt'd with your work after it is fired,
for it will then look weak and jialtry.

In reason it is almost impossible to paint too deeply in
this style, as so much of the colour, being oil colour, dis-
appears in the firing.

Take the glass off the easel, stain on the liack, and your work
* is ready for firing. It should receive what is termed a “ light
fire,” and for this reason may be stained a little heavier than
usual. The greater the heat glass is subjected to, the deeper
th6 stain strikes and the richer it appears. A “light” or

PAINTING ON GLASS— DIUPEBSED PATTERNS.# 115

•

“ slacl ” fire gives a somewhat weak stain unless the pre-
caution is taken to put the stain on stronger than usual.

Inscriptive Labels, — These are for the purpose of naming
the saint or subject depicted, for the display of a text, or to
receive a memoi’ial or dedicatory inscription.

There are two modes of writing these labels : one is to
show a black letter on a white ground, and the other to show
a white lettcjr on a black ground.

For the former it will be lu'cessary to ]*ough out the in-
scription 071 a ])iece of paper, so as to show the height of the
letters and to give correct s]>acing. Next mat or stipple
th(i surface' of tin* glass very lightly, then by laying the
glass over tin* i)aper the writing may bc^ traced upon it
eithei’ m gum or sugar coloui*, and care should be taken to
get the letters solid and black.

After th(^ lettc^i’s are conx'ctcHl, made utn'ight, etc., with
a pointed stick, tin* l)ack of the glass should be matted and
stippled ijj gum colour to a ])ale half tone, and then rubbed
over with the ball of the thumb. Stain on the back where
desired as capitals, figures, stops, etc.

Foi‘ white letters on a hlack ground the whole piece of
glass must be solidly and opa(jue]y coated in gum colour to
which a little extra gum has been added, so as to make the
paint less likely to become scratched.

The colour must be regulated on tin* stirface with a few
touches of the badger-hair softener, not with the stippler.
When the colour is perfectly dry rule •lines upon the surface
the height of tin; k'-tters with a white chalk pencil, being
careful not to scratch the colour in so doing.

The lettering must then be spaced out with the chalk, ^
and the letters patiently removed by etching with a pointed
wooden stylus.

It will be well to note thtit when shewing black letters
on a white ground the letters should be thick and gouty,

116 4 treatise on thr art of glass painting.

because the rays of light wrap round the black lettefs to a
certain extent, and so appear to the eye to make them
thinner than they really are.

On the other hand, white r^etters on a black ground should
be kept thin and delicate, because the rays of light coming
through the glass to the oye (Expand or div(‘rge, and so at
a 'short distance make the letters look broader than they
really are.

Modern inscriptions are usually and rightly in very plain
lettering, and can easily be nuid by ordinary persons, whereas
old churcli text and “ black letter ” is freqiumtly dubbed
“ Latin ’’ at a glance;, and tlu; observer docs not take the
trouble to puz/le it out.

Texts in Latin are only for the upp(;r classes, ol whom
a few may be able to give a fair translation, but the dead
language, upon which our own language is so greatly built,
is to the average visitor an unknown tongue, and probably
not one visitor to a church in fifty can understand or trans-
late them, or translate them even fairly.

Fig. 22.— Flemish Headdress.

CUAVTKll VIL

1 ) J A T‘R]iE 1 ) P A 'I’TR RN S— ACl 1 ) 1 NG— F [ R ING.

] )iAi’EiiiG) pattcM'iis ai*e plac('(l l)ntli upon drapoi'v and upon
i)ack(,u\)iinds. Sonu' of tlio j)att(Tns art' ‘Mraw'd^on,” and
otluR's art' “ pick('d out ” from oolonr tlnckly matted upon tbe
tilass.

We will take tin; drapery aia])ers first.

Some diapers of tli<; late lifteent}) and early sixteenth
eentiiri{;s are V(;ry elaborate, and often composed of linos of
pi'arls in beautiful iviiculated sections, eael] of which has an
elaborate iiuHlallion of foliated work as a e-eiitr(;-})iec(;. These
diapers covered the whole dress, and were called running
d]a})ers ; otlnu's wen; spars(‘ly strewn over the* surface of
tlu' drap(;ry with iinornamented space between — these were
known as “powdered” diapers, or “s])ot'’ patterns.

Drapery dia])ers an' usually “traced” u])on a garment,
and ai’e jdae.ed tlu're to break up a large sui'faca; of (colour, and
to g]V(' elegaiua; to what miglit otherwise be a somewhat
glaring and bald mass of colour.

Little birds, animals, flow€;rs and many quaint devices
W(;re often introduced into th('S(; patterns, which were nearly
always black, ('\cept where the surface of the glass was
abraded or eaten awa\ with acid, so as to show the under
glass beneath the coloured “ dashed ” glass.

Suppose we have a rulyy ditiss, and wisji to have a diapered
})attern of yellow and white' upon it. We must first %cid

118 TREATISE ON THB ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

away the flash of the niby glass to whatever pattern we
desire, and so expose the white or tinted under glass. Then
we outline our pattern with tracing colour on the front, stain
on the back the parts wo w^'-sh to be golden, and leave the
white part untouched.

The process of “ aciding ” w(? will notice in due course.

On white glass it is only necessary to outline the pattern
and stain it upon the hack, by which sim})le means some
most beautiful patterns may lx; arranged ; and a skilful
painter will so work that his diaper consists of solid black
lines and arabes(|U(;s, interspersed with washes of half tint
from wh^ch, w^ith quills and sticks, he can etch out a wealth
of embellishment of pearls and lacework filigree; ; and with
his stain he can also get v(tv fine elfects, ])utt]ng in some of
the pattern of a (]ui(;t lemon tone, whik' other ])arts he c.an
bring out of a fine rich yellow or orange bord(;ring on ruby.

These diapered device's and intricate patterns are infinite
in variety and Ix'auty of colouring, and ])ei'haps in the whok;
range of Ihe glass ])ainter’s art there is nothi)]g which gives a
finer effect than a wx; 11 -balanced diapered pattern.

After examining a few examples of ancient ornamental
diaper work, any ordinary artist may sit down and make any
number of these highly effective designs, keeping simply to
black, half tone, light and dark stains, and, of course, the
white of the glasft itself .

Another very elegant way of putting a diaper on white
drapery is to paint thf garment in the ordinary way, except
that the light and shade may be more pronounced—that is, the
transition between light and shade may be more sudden and
abrupt. Then take your drapery from the easel glass and put
^t on again, but rev(;rse each piece of glass, so that the painted
side is to the easel glass and the clear side towards you.

Now finely stipple a half tribe all over the glass — not too
darh~-and from it, with quills and fine scrubs, take out a

DIAPERED PATTBRNS-^CIDING— FIRING. 119

flowifig- diaper, bright and sharp, a pattern that well covers
every part.

When the glass is fired and leaded the effect is that of a
beautiful damask pattern, giving a soft, silky appearance to
the whole garment.

Yet another mode of prodiKjing a fine effect is to reverse
the glass upon the easel as described above, and to paint a
diaper upon it in stain. Use a tracer for the main lines
and a flat cainel-hair brush for leaves, flowers or broader
work.

By varying the stain the (iffect is peculiarly soft and
bright aft(U' the glass is fired, as it comes out like richly
embossed silk, a golden pattern on a beautiful silver ground.

With thes(‘ several styles of diapering it will be seen what
a wealth of beautitul d(isigii and enricbment is in the hands
of the aj’tist who is master ot his profession. This fclass of
ornament is practically unlimited m design, change and
variety of colouring, depth or softness, and is a trump card in
the hands of the glass painter.

Backgrounds of canopies, etc., are of several kinds, but
that most in vogue is the “ picked-out " dia])er.

For this tlu^ glass should be thickly stippled with gum
colour — in fact it may be so deep as to be almost opaque.

The pattiu'Ti may then be indicated on the surface with a
white chalk pencil — just the leading lines *^ketched— and the
device, usually of a floriatiid pattern, “ picked out " or etched
out with pointed sticks and fine-point^id scrubs.

Tin; fifteenth century diapers were, many of them, of an
(jxceedingly elaborate nature, and many good examples are
still extant.

When the pattern is pick(;d out the glass should he
roughly stippled on the back in half tone, and when dry
rubbed with the ball of the^thumb; this gives a fine effect,
and greatly helps the light and shade effect of the glass.*

120 TREATISE ON THB^ ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

«

Somotimes diapers are traced on hackgroiuids, bn^ the
effect is not nearly so ^^^ood.

Curtains at th(! back of fi^run's are usually treated with a
black diaper, with lu.re and tfiere a little li^rht taken out, but
this nuist l)(‘ done sparin.crl.v, as thi' obj(‘ct of a curtain is to

Fi(. 28 .— Pjittorns foi Dfcomtinjr Squai es

serve as a l>a(:k>;rnun(i lo a and as suc.li, liowever

beautiful it may lie in itself, must be kept back and iprite
SNbservient to tin' fiuurc vvlticli i( is intended to tlirou- for-
ward.

Quite a book might be WTittiyi on th(' beauties and merits
of dif,pej' Jiattenis, ),ut sufficient lias been said to point out

DIAPEKKD PATTERNS— ^CTDlNCx— FIRING .

121

the pfincipal modes of manipulation and to indicate tlie best
kind for various purposes.

Borders and fringes might almost (xune under the same
hi^ading, as they are wrought ii' the same manner, and only
inti‘oduced to embellish drapery, curtains, etc.

Usually where hordtu’s, etc., are shown the dra])ory itself
is left plain, as a too bedizened figure eumbi'n'd with richness
is likt' an ov('.r-di‘cssed person, or like a, man who tries to gild
the lily.

^rhere Ctiii lu' no greater mistake than to ovi'r-elahorate a
window. By doing so tlu' hreadih of tlu' work is destroyed,
and the whole ('tleet is not h<*autilnl, hut lahouri'd ^nd over-
■doiH'- — an (‘fitJKirrosniciil dr n< lirsse

Fine, \\(dl-halaneed tigun's, richly (‘oloun'd, and with a
Jittki ri'hef of handsome diapis* work heri' and there, is tluj
idi'al of a modei'ii painter; hut to know the point wliere to
stop putting on the mi*rely ornamental is leariu'd only hy
<'xp(‘riene(' and observation : it cannot 1)(‘ taught.

Acid Work.

It frequently happens that it is desirable to removi^ the
surface colour of certain pieces ol glass, as when a jiale
diapered patteiai is reipiired on a i*uhv dress, or small devic-es
upon an heraldic shield having a blue, red (#r green field ; in
su(di cases it is usual to resort to liuoric acid for the purpose.

Arudently patterns weix^ I'emoved fi’oiii coloured glass by
iibrasion, a long and delicate task of chipping with suitable
steel implements, or a small wheel with a rough surface,
but the opei’atiun is now’ can-ied out in a much quicker,
cleaner and neater manner.

The process of acdding out any desired jiattcrn or shape
is this : We take, say, a small* heraldic shield cut out of ruby
glass, upon which we wish to show the sacred monogiam

122 , A TBEATISE ON TH^. AllT OF GLASS PAINTING.

I H S in yellow and white. To do this we draw the tetters,
on paper, and, layinjj^ the ruby ^lass over it, outline the
letters (takin^jj eare not to encroach upon the lines bounding
the letters) with Brunswicl^ black. That being done, we
coat over the whole of the ruby ground with the same colour,,
leaving only the lettei’s themselves untoudied.

When thoroughly dry, hydrofluoric- a(nd (made from
fluor-spar and sulphuric acid) is applied to the ]ett(‘.rs with
a soft brush, and a]low(;d to eat off' the bard J'liby surface of
the glass.

('are should bt^ exercised in ascertaining tliat the “ flashed "
side of tlu' glass is uppermost before applying tlu' Hriinswuck
black, or your c'ntire labour will be in vain.

The acid used should be strong and giv(' forth fumes
wIkui applied to iIh; glass, and should be ki‘})t constantly
in motion with the soft brush, so as to nimovi' the scum of
disintegrated glass as it forms.

Aft(ir a time it will be notu^ed that the parts under treal-
UKUit wnll become lighter, and any obstinatt^ parts must ]>e
more ])leiitifull\ covered with the acid, fjighter and lighter
will the flaslu'd surface become, until at length the wdiole
of the lettering stands out white.

Wash oti' the acid, and, laying the si held flat, scrape off'
the Jh’unswick black ; then wash aww any remaining spots
of the black with turpentine, and afterwards wash th(‘ shield
ill soda w'ater and a little soap.

The latter procch^s i-emoves all suspicion of grease, and
the glass is ready to paint upon. When staining the back
of any flashed glass j’emember that such glass is very flinty,
consequently a very liberal coating of stain must be applied.
•If it is found that the Brunswick bla(;k has a tendency to
peel off, a little well-ground red lead may lie added to it.

In heraldry it is usual to V lead in ” the various charges
where it is possible to do so without clumsiness, but when

BIAPfiBED PATTERNS — ^CIDING-— FIRING . 12S

a nuiffber of small charges have to be shown in a circum-
scribed space leading is out of the question, and recourse
must be had to the fluoric acid, which does its work so neatly
and well.

The acid will also be found useful foi- a number of other
purposes, as for lightening certain parts of drapery, and to
help to emphasise the iolds by eating away, in a broad manner,
a little of the flashed colour, and so in a manner painting the
figure by giving extra value to the light and shade of the
glass itself.

Much effect may b(‘ obtained in this manner, but the

operation must Ixi skilfullv ixu'formed and not overdone.

#

Another use for the acid is to remove colour or paint from
the surface of glass when a mistake has been made, and not
noticed until the glass has Ixxm finxb In doing this the
correct ])art should be coated ov(;r with soap, tallow tiandle
or any kind of gr(‘ase, so that the fuiiuis of the fluoric acid
may not affect tin* surrounding paint

Yet anoth('r thing in which the acid is of use is to nuiiove
or soften a redundancy of stain. 1'his must be done very
carefully or t1i(‘ stain will lx; eat(‘n away in white patches,
and have a very unsightly appe-arance. If the stain is really
very bad a: id blotchy, it will b(‘ found expedient to remove
it entirely by means of tin; acid — and to restain it again.

It is hardly necessary to point out that ^his jxiwerful acid
must be carefully used as it will destroy one’s clothes wher-
ever it falls iqion them, and unless (piV^kly removed from the
fingers will turn the skin yellow and destroy it.

There is no need, however, for the hands or clothing to
come into contact with the acid, as it can be very con-
veniently manipulated with a long-handled brush, and aciding
after all is only an occasional part of the painter’s art.

The hydrofluoric acid may be bought of any wholesale
chemist, and must be kept either in a gutta-percha or leaden

124 ' ^ TREATISE ON THE ART OP GLASS PAINTING.

Lottie, tightly stoppered, and kept in a safe place out*of the
reach of children or servants.

FlRlN{f (tLASS.

The process of burning or firing the glass, as it is technically
termed, is (jiiite outside' the ])rovince of the artist, and is a
business (iiitirely l)y itself, and as s])ecial premises and ex-
pensive kilns iiw. re<|nir(‘d it is only in the large firms that
we find tlu'm, and tlu'V ai’e tlu'rc' worked by a s])ecial kilnman
and his assistants.

Happily, howi'ver, tluTe is every facility for both pro-
fessional aiid amateur glass pamteu's to have their glass fired
by individuals who, having kilns of their own, make a
business of tiring for the trade'.

The price charged for firing varu's from 4d. to (id, pi'r
superficial foot, tlu' glass being fin'd at the owner s risk.

Hnjaks and accndimts will occur, but m the hands of an
('xperieiiced man the percu'iitage of breakag{' is very small.

Formerly the kilns wei’e bred by using coke under the
box of the kiln, hut th(' most approved method is now by
using a great iiiimher of gas j(',ts inside the kiln or oven.

I’he kiln is a large rectangular iron box, made in sizes
varying from six feet hy three feet to as small as a foot by
ten inches.

In these kilns are iron trays sliding m grooves in the sides
of the box or firing chamber, upon which is sifted a liberal
coating of powdered whiting or sometimes gypsum. Upon
tliis bed the glass to he fired is arranged, close to, but not
touching, its iieighhouriiig pieces, and the trays being placed
hi the kiln the iron door is closed and looted round with
cement to prevent a draught from cracking the glass.

The gas jets are then lighted, casting out a tremendous
heat^, wdiich causes the glass to become first red-hot and then

DIAPERED PATTERNS— ^CIDING— FIRING. 125

to glc^ with a white heat. The skilled kilnman knows
exactly the moment to withdraw the glass hy constantly
inspecting the interior of the oven' through a little aperture
arranged in the centre of the fn^^it of the kiln.

When the glass is sutticiently tired the gas is gradually
turned down and finally out, and glass (hither left to
anneal oi* cool in the kiln, or else the trays of glass are
quickly taken out and placed in another iron chamber, called
an annealing chamher, and there kdt till nearly cold, when
the glass may he safely removed and placxid in wooden boxcjs.

The great thing to avoid is draught when tlu^ plates are
removed from the kiln to the annealing tdiamber, for a gust
or wind at the crucial moment would break (wcuy* piece of
glass on the iron plates.

Small kilns in the hands of amateurs arc* very liable to
bring disaster to the glass, which usually comes out •either
overdone, underdone or broken. Glass sent to an ex])erienced
kilnman is put into a large and well-regulated kiln, and has
every probability of coming home intact.

Those living in th<' country can always have their work
fired by sending it to a properly accredited kilnman, and
in such cases it will go safely through the post or on a long
railway jourimy if carefully jiacked between layers of cotton
wool in a wooden box.

P’lG. 24. — German Headdress, 1490.

OHAPTEU VII r.

PRKT liPAD (JLAZIN(L

art of fret lead is not at all difficult to

ac(juire. As in most other tliin;^^s, a fair proportion of
common-sense and a little patience will j^o a lon^^ way to
overcome any little diflicnlties that will occur.

Tlie jj^lass hein^f cut ready for glazing, tin' first thijig is
to spread the cutline smoothly on the work hoard, and upon
it lay out th(' eiitire “ light ” or window to ])e glazed — that
is, every individual piece of the canopy, figure and base —
and ]‘eplace any missing pieces. It is exactly like a child
piecing tog()tlier the various sections of a puzzJi^ picture, and
care must he taken to see that (wery piece is in its correct
place. Having laid out our work, we will see what tools we
require — fortunately tluiy are few, and, with one exception,
inexpensive. That particular tool is the glazier’s diamond
which we spoke ()f under the head of “Cutting,” and which
we will assume is already jiurchased. The set square we
also hav(3, likciwisc' tli^y plic'rs, and we therefore only require
a lathekin, a cutting knife, a stopping knife, soldering iron,
and nails. The lathekin, the most ancient tool of the glazier,
is simply a piece of hard wood — box, lance, or ebony — cut to
<the shape shown, for opening, pressing and regulating the
leads. It should be an inch and a half wide, eight inches
long, and a quarter inch thickn The cutting knife is made
by ^napping off a broad-bladed palette knife, so as to leave

127

FBET LEAD (^.AZING.

five iiichefi of it in the handle. A keen edge should be
put on it, slightly skewed, so as to cut the lead easily. The
■stopping knife should be made from a broad-bladed oyster
knife. When houghi the blade; will be perfectly flat, Init it

7

Fr(! 2.'». — (rlazicr’s Tools. ^

1. hathokm, 5. (Jla/ing Nails.

2. Set IS(juart'. U. Wheel Cutter.

2 Cutting Knife. 7. G111/.i('r’s Diainniid.

4. Stopping Knife.

must be heated and bent to the curvt^ shown in the illustra-
tion. It is useful for turning up leads to replace brokert
pieces, and many other things. The gas soldering iron,
to be bought at the large glasij merchants or leading builders’
ironmongers, saves a great deal of time, but for those ^ho

128 ^ A TKEATISE ON THE AET OP GLASS TAINTING.

reside in th(i country, where gas is an unknown luxui^% the
old-fashioiKHl copper bits are the only available iinpleiiienta
with which the joints can be soldered. The nails used by
glaziers are the peculiar hand-made “ lasting tacks” used
by bootmakcirs. They cost about twopence per dozen, and
four to six dozc'-n will b(^ required. Tluiy have square heads,
and ar(‘ an ijich and a half in length. A hamnu'r conipleU'.s.
the glazier’s kit, except for one or two trifles wt. will mention
as we proceed.

The l(‘ad used tor glazing purposes is first c'ast in an iron
mould, into strips about eighteen inches long, which are
afterwards subjected to great jiressure in passing through
a mill oV vice having rt'gulating wheels and cheeks of

^ ^ t

1 ? ?

is .J

^ o S

cd nS

'■itJ ^

I I X

H

H

H

X 3:

Fig. 20. —Fret Leads.

hardened steel.

Through the mill

each “casting” is

squeezed, until it finally appeal’s in the form of a “calme,”
or strip about five feet long. It can be turned through the
mill in a variety ()f patterns and sizes, the latter varying from
an eighth of an inch to half an inch in width.

The outer flange is called the “ leaf” of the lead, and the

4

central portion the “ heart Tlu' heart is made of varying
widths, according to the thickness of the glass it is to hold.
It varies from a sixteenth to a quarter of an inch in depth.
Jhis lead is always in a more or less crippled state, but is
easily made straight again for working purposes. Turn
about an inch of it down at r;ght angles and place on the
floo^ grasping the upper end of the calme with a pair of

l^RET LEAD ^LAZING.

129

plieA and giving it a good pull. By this means the calme
hecomes beautifully straight, and should be laid fiat along
the work board for cutting into suitable lengths as the
glazing process.

It is usual to commence leading a figure panel by placing
a lead completely round the head, which should then be laid
in its exact })ositi()n on the cutline, and there fastened by a
few nails driven all round close against the lead, so as to
bold the bead firmly in position. The next pi(3ce of glass
forming part of tlie body which conies into juxtaposition
with the head is next fixed and placed in the outer flange
of the lead surrounding the head. The fitting (jf the glass
is done by placing a section of glass as nearly into its position
ill the lead as possible, and then with a piece of French
chalk or lead pencil scribing round th(^ flange of the lead.
Kemove the piece and examine the mark, and wRere the
glass do('.s not accurately fit th(^ lead it must be grozed, or
nipped away with the })1uts, until an exact fit is obtained.
Then surroiuid that ])iec(^ of glass with a lea'd, and so add
piece to ])iec(i, gradually building up the paiiid until the
whole of the glass is put togetlu^r, every portion in its exact
place. If one ]}ieco is allowed to work too full it will throw
all the others out of range, and spoil the whole panel.

Ill leading-up canopy work even greater care must be
exercised than with figure work, as all the*lines painted upon
one piece of glass must range with those painted upon the
next piece, or very bad work will be ^le result.

Divisions.— It is usual, for ease and safety in handling,
to make a “ light ” or window panel in sections not ex-
ceeding three feet in length, and the position of the divisions
must be marked on the cutline.

It is obvious that in placing these sectiolfs together in
the actual fixing of the wiiiflow that provision must be made
for keeping the rain and wind out just where thef join.

330 A TBBATISE ON THE AET OP OLASS PAINTIN0.

t

This is got over by simply placing a half-inch lead oik the
bottom of each section, and a quarter-inch lead on the top
of each.

The flange of the quarter-inch lead should be neatly laid
down or flattened, so that in fixing the broad lead has
only to be opened with the lathekin and “ straddled ” or
“ married ” over the narrow one to produce a water and wind
tight joint.

We will now suppose our liglit ” has been leaded ; the
next thing is to solder the joints.

Soldering. — This process is extremely simple, yet it often
proves a difficult task to beginners. This is usually because
they cannot get a “face” or tinned surface on the copper
bolt or “ bit,” as it is technically termed. Let us see how
it is done. Take your soldering iron and carefully file the
copper bit flat and circular, so as to expose a surface about
three-eighths of an inch in diameter; then have ready an
old sardine tin, one that has been carefully cleaned from all
grease, and a little bit of resin as large as a pea. Place the
resin in the tin, and having brought the soldering iron to
the requisite heat, place the hot “ bit ” on the resin, which
vdll immediately melt, and rub it vigorously on the tin.
This will have the effect of “tinning” the surface of the bit
and making it ready to solder with.

Before beginning the actual soldering every joint must
be rubbed with a composite candle ; wax or stearine will be
useless. They are called plumbers’ dips, and are only kept by
a few oilmen.

If composite candle cannot be obtained, powdered resin
must be the alternative. The solder used is known as
“cblowpipe ” solder, and is made in very thin strips or
“ straps

Holding a strap of solder . in the left hand, and the
soldering iron in the right, every joint must be neatly and

FBET liBAB ^LAZING. 131

flatly coated with solder, so as to hold all the parts firmly
together, and render them not a collection of separate pieces
without adherent strength, but a single panel firm and strong ^
to withstand gales and rainstorms.

The “ bit ” should be just hot enough to melt the solder
and make it flow evenly over the joint.

If it is too hot it will melt the lead, but
if it is too cool the solder will be ap-
plied in gouty, unsightly patches. The
joints should be well covered and strong,
but should be fairly flat, not put on so
as to represent “split-peas” or ugly
little nubbles.

For the constancy of heat there is
nothing to equal a gas iron, the heat
of which, by a turn of the tap, can be
regulated to a nicety, so that when
once heated a workman may go ahead
without stopping for an instant, until
the whole panel is finished.

Work for Beginners.

To become used to the handling of
the lead and tools, it would be as well
if the beginner tried his unaccustomed
hand at a simple “ square ” or “ quarr}»”
panel, with a coloured line and white fig. 27.— Design for a
outer margin round. Masonic Panel.

For a panel of squares it will be best to nail a lath down
along the inner edge of the coloured line. Against this lay
a lead the whole length of the panel, and, commencing on
the left, a row of squares ihay be laid .with a strip of lead
between each, the flanges clipping the glass on eithe# side

Vd2 ^ TREATISE ON THE ART OF GLASS PAINTING.

of it. Care must be taken to cut each of these dividing
leads a trifle less than the width of each square, so that
when a long lead is^laid along the outer edge of alJ these
squares to bind them it may fit closely over the glass, and
not be thrust out of place by projecting short leads. Now,
with a row of squares and a long binding lead alternately,
“ lead ” the whole of the squares, whicli being done put a
lead all round the panel, and liold tht^ three sides you are
not working upon with laths firmly nailed around them.

Next, strip by strip, add yom* (iolourcxl line ; then a binding
lead all round again, held in place with the laths ; then the
outer margin is to he added in tiie same way. The whole is
then “lK)uhd” or finished off with a three-eigiith orlialf-inch
outer lead, and tlui whok^ of tlu' joints neatly soldered.

A “ quarry ” panel may next Ixi undertaken. A “ quarry ”
IS the old term for a diamond pane. With the cutlim^ u])on
the work board tack down a lath just inside the (coloured
line as in the “ square panel " to bound the length of the
light, anothej’ at right angles to bound the foot of the light.
Commence at the left-hand corner of the light with a “ long ”
and a “ short ” half square, and lay a lead along their edges,
which should b(‘- clipjied by the flange. The next row, run-
ning diagonally, would consist of a short half, a whole quarry,
another whole quarry, and a long half. Against these place
another long lead„ and so proc*eed, row by row’, diagonally,
until all the quanh^s are in place. They should be tapped up
with a lath now and agt^in to keep the lines straight and true.
The quarries are bound all round with a lead, and the
coloured border and outer margin added as in the first panel,
after which the joints are to be soldered in the same way,
and the quarry light is complete.

Having become conversant with the nature of the lead,
the handling of the tools, and tlu^ modus ojjemndi of the work,
more intricate patterns may be attempted, a few of which are

ffRET liEAD OLAZIM,

138

here fiven, showing successive stages of difficulty. It will be
noticed that Figs. 30, 33 and 34 contain a little painted work
of a simple type for beginners.

Fig. 30.

In glazing many little dodges may be kiarnt or invented
which will facilitate the wo^k.

When the glass does not quite fit the lead, breathe jipon

IM ,A TBEATISB ON THB^ABT OF GLASS PAINTING. .

it as it lies in position on the outline, dab the poun<^ bag
over it where it is thrust into the lead, and run a piece of
pointed stick round close to the flange of the lead. This

Fig. si.

FRBT LBAD GLAZING.

1^5

•

will ahow clearly, when the glass is lifted, where part must
be grozed away to make it fit, A piece of old wire ** carding
cloth ” is very useful to rub over tarnished lead, to make
it take the solder easily. Sal ammoniac may take the place
of resin for facing the copper “ bit

Fig. 84.

For leading circles or roundels a circle turning block
should be used. It is simply a block of hard wood turned
into cylinders of different diameters, round'which a calme of

lead can be wrapped so that each circle is of the size
required. When the whole calme is wound round into %
spiral it must be removed and stood on end ; then with a
careful downward cut the dircles may be divided, and fall
apart ready for adjusting round the discs of glass.

13B c A TREATISE ON THI^ ART OF OLASS PAINTING.

Where a great deal of circular work has to be cut circle
board is used as described under “ Cutting,” but where
simple curves are required, as lines round a circular me-
dallion, a makeshift may be made with a brad-awl and a
piece of flat wood. Notcll(^s should be cut out of the edge
of the wood, at the distances apart required for the width
of the curves of glass, and the I’adius regulated by the
position of a brad-awl, as shown in the illustration.

After our panels of glass, whether they be painted or
plain work, are “ solden^d ofl" on both sides, there still
remains an important process, without which our work
would not be of any service when fixed, as it would let

Fi(i, Sfl. — C'iicnlar (laiigo.

in both wind and rain — it must be rfaid(T(Kl wind and water
tight by cementing.

Cementing, — Take a large earthenware paint pot, one
that will hold about two quarts, and in it pour half a pint of
turpentine, a pint of boiled oil, half a ])ackot of lamp blacky
and two ounces of red lead. Crush a couple of balls of dry
whiting and pass it tli^’ough a sieve, adding it, little by little,
to the ingredients in the })ot, stirring it meantime with a
strong stick until a thick mixture is produced, so thick that
the stick will stand upright in it. Idiis is the cement,
t Lay a light dowm flat on the work board, and using a
stumpy, house painter’s brush, rub the cement well in under
the leads, going over them again and again in every direction
unti^ no more can be forced under the flanges.

137

FBEX LEAlf GLAZING.

ftave ready a vessel of sifted cinder-ash, and mix with it
an equal bulk of powdered whiting. Strew this liberally over
the panel, and with pads of hay rub off all the cement
adhering to the surface. Th^f cinder-ash and whiting act as
an absorbent and suck the oil from the cement under the
leads.

Dust a little whiting over the panel, then, turning it over,
repeat the process of cementing.

Stand the panel aside for a couple of hours, during which
the cement under the leads will to some extent become firm,
then, with a pointed stick of hard wood, go round every
piece of glass close to the lead, and remove all the cement
that has oozed out.

Finally, with hard scrubbing brushes polish up both
glass and leads, and the panel is finished ; but it should be
stoo(f aside for a day or two for the cement to harden before
fixing.

To clean off the cement, saw-dust, marble mason’s dust,
plaster of Paris, or fine sand and whiting are all good.

Banding. — This is the last process of all, and consists of
fastening on pieces of copper wire to certain parts of the
panels for fixing purposes.

Wherever it has been arranged for the iron bars to be
placed, which hold the glass panels into the stonework, there
must a row of copper tie-bands be soldered on.

Of course, where division leads have been placed in a
“ light,” so as to divide it into sections, there must necessarily
be an iron bar (called a saddle-bar), and it is also usual to
place a bar as near as possible midway between the division
bars, so as to have bars all up the window at intervals qf.
from twelve to sixteen inches.

Where there are “ divisions,” “ half bands ” must be
soldered on— that is, pieces of No. 17 g^uge copper wirg cut

off about two and a half inches in length, one end being

9*

138 A ^TREATISE ON THE ^ART OF, GLASS PAINTING.

turned into a little “ eye ” for the solder to hold the more
securely.

Where bars are to run across the window between the
division bars, “ strai^dit hands ’ must be soldered on. These
are simply straight pieces of co])per wire about three and a
half inches in length.

It must be noted that “ tie-bands ” must always be
soldered to a “joint ’ — a solder-joint in the leading — and
never, if avoidable, to the lead itself. A solder-joint is a
strong part, and, therd'ore, the bands should thei’e find a
holding place.

The copper wire should he rubbed clean and bright with
glass paper b(ifore it is cut into lengths.

Spirit of salts should be the medium used for soldering
on the ^ ties — not candle, as ties so soldered are very apt
to fall off.

Saddle-bars. — These are for fixing the lights, and for
ordinary church work we should i*ecommend half-inch round
bars. A number of architects use square bars, but this is
a mistake, for this reason : A round bar seen from any
position never apjx^ars more than its diameter— that is to
say, a half-inch round bar cannot show wider than half an
inch, whereas a half-inch square bar when seen from below
often shows its diagonal size of about thre^e-quarters of an
inch, and so appears clumsy, and is apt to cut off finger tips
or other important parts. Again, copper tie-bands are apt
after many years to corrode and break where they touch the
iron bars. With round bars they only touch at one place,
frequently circle the bar without touching, and being bent
Circularly present no weak angles to break. On the other
hand, the copper wire being bent in sharp angles to embrace
the square bar is weakened at the angles, and there gives way
first. The bars sholild be painted with red lead and boiled
oil before being fixed, to ])revent rusting.

FBET LBAD'atAZING.

im

FiNAii Note.

We have taken the reader through every stage in the
production of a stained glass v?indow, from its inception
to Its final stage of banding, and, as he will Jiave seen, there
is no “mystery ” in any part of it any more than there is
in any other branch of art. The only mysteries in the
attainment of proficiency in painting, style,' depth, breadth
and colouring are patience and perseverance— two essentials
which are the “open sesame” of every art under the sun,
and without which no artist, however clever he may be, will
ever attain the front rank in the art of glass painting.